NEW YORK, Jan. 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Global public relations leader Porter Novelli (PN) announced that Veronica Gonzalez has joined its Mexico City office to lead the local Health and Wellness Practice. Gonzalez will oversee the agency's work with health and wellness brands in Latin America and spearhead the practice's development in the region. She joined the agency on November 17, and reports to Sandra Kleinburg, partner and managing director, Mexico.

"Our health and wellness practice in Mexico is growing steadily, and the addition of Veronica to our team reflects the increased focus we are placing on this important and fast-growing part of our business," said Kleinburg. "Veronica brings deep expertise in healthcare communications and we're confident she will continue to drive our momentum."

Gonzalez has more than 18 years of experience in health and corporate communications, specializing in reputation management, critical issues and health professional and patient relations. Prior to joining Porter Novelli, Gonzalez was group director at Jeffrey Group, where she was responsible for a wide portfolio of the agency's clients, including Mead Johnson Nutrition, Merck, Novartis and Johnson & Johnson. Prior to that, she spent 13 years at Cohn & Wolfe, where she served as senior vice president, working with clients across practice areas, including consumer, technology and healthcare. There she founded and led the agency's nutrition and wellbeing practice as practice director. Gonzalez began her career as a reporter. In addition, she has been a spokesperson for Fundacion Dianui, a nonprofit association focused on enhancing child nutrition in Mexico.

"I'm thrilled to join the Porter Novelli team and contribute to the great work being done in the health and wellness practice," said Gonzalez. "This is a particularly exciting time in the growth of the practice in Mexico, and I look forward to putting additional energy behind its development as we move forward."

Gonzalez holds a bachelor's degree in communications from Universidad Iberoamericana, a certification in public health from the Instituto Nacional de Salud Publica and a certification in international communications from the Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico.

About Porter Novelli
Porter Novelli is a global public relations agency built on a rich heritage of marketing for social good. We've been motivating people to change deeply ingrained behaviors rooted in cultural and social norms for more than 40 years. Porter Novelli is a different kind of agency--and we recognize, respect and champion companies with the spirit, drive and tenacity to do things differently. We like taking on big challenges, and even bigger challengers, and we seek out clients who feel the same way--clients who have the conviction to tell their own story, and the courage to innovate from who they have been into who they know they can be. For additional information, please visit www.porternovelli.com. Porter Novelli is a part of the DAS Group of Companies.

About the DAS Group of Companies
The DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com), is a global group of marketing services companies. DAS includes over 200 companies in the following marketing disciplines: specialty, PR, healthcare, CRM, events, promotional marketing, branding and research. Operating through a combination of networks and regional organizations, DAS serves international, regional, national and local clients through more than 700 offices in 71 countries.

Contact:
Tricia Whittemore
Porter Novelli
tricia.whittemore@porternovelli.com
212-601-8449

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SOURCE Porter Novelli