Carmen Caricchio
President
With nearly 15 years of healthcare-specific international public relations experience, Carmen has helped biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device companies gain awareness and recognition in the news and on Wall Street. With an extensive understanding of the highly-regulated healthcare environment, Carmen has taken numerous pharmaceutical agents, therapeutic lasers, drug delivery systems, diagnostics and surgical products through pre- and post- approval communication campaigns within the U.S. and abroad. Her therapeutic expertise spans ophthalmology, neurology, cardiology, oncology, dermatology, orthopaedic and women’s health industries.
In addition, Carmen has advanced award-winning disease awareness initiatives by bridging the work of worldwide advocacy organizations, research institutions and leading pharmaceutical/medical device companies. Her firm has been the recipient of four Anvil Awards from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).
Carmen is a communications advisor to BIO, the world’s largest biotechnology organization and she serves as a coach/mentor for Astia, an organization committed to high-potential, high-growth women-led start-ups at all stages. She is an active member of the San Francisco chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and Ophthalmic Women’s Leaders (OWL). Carmen has been a frequent speaker for medical device industry organizations worldwide.
Carmen studied microbiology at University of California, Santa Cruz before completing her undergraduate degree in business administration at the University of San Francisco. She has completed MBA coursework at the University of California, Berkeley.
Andrew Geddes
Media & Investor Relations, Australia
Andrew has more than 20 years of experience as a business journalist, correspondent and corporate communications and investor relations advisor. He was formally trained as a journalist with News Limited in Sydney Australia before relocating to Hong Kong where he worked as the Asia correspondent for US-based Crain Communications.
He has managed global media, investor relations and communications functions for Ventracor Limited, the first Australian company to develop and manufacture a CE Mark approved left ventricular assist device (LVAD). Since leaving Ventracor, Andrew has helped numerous life sciences and healthcare companies position themselves to successfully expedite their clinical trial recruitment, raise capital and drive international medical and investor awareness.
With international print, television and radio experience, Andrew has created successful targeted communications for audiences in Australia, Asia and the USA.
He studied at Macquarie University in Sydney, AU. He is an active member of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and the Australian Investor Relations Association (AIRA).
Drew Avril
Media Relations
Drew Avril is public relations professional with nearly 15 years of experience in the fields of health care, entertainment and consumer goods. For the past decade, Drew has specialized in designing, managing and executing targeted media relations campaigns for high-profile physicians, hospital divisions, state health associations and medical device companies. He has been instrumental in the launch of several medical technologies and procedures, and effectively managed his clients' publicity needs as they navigated the sensitive FDA approval and clearance processes.
His clients have received national and international coverage in major news mediums such as USA Today, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, TIME, Elle, Maxim, ABC World News, Good Morning America, WebMD, Associated Press Radio, CBS Radio Network, CNN Headline News, CBS Evening News, WNBC-TV, and more than 100 other major television affiliates nationwide.
Drew sharpened his communications skills in radio and television as a writer and reporter covering a wide variety of stories including the 1992 and 1996 presidential campaigns, the TWA Flight 800 plane crash and the environmental impact of pollution on the Long Island shoreline.
Drew studied environmental science and communications at Cornell University, English and journalism at SUNY Stony Brook and broadcasting at New York Institute of Technology.
Rick Roose
Senior Strategist
For more than 25 years, Rick Roose has produced results-oriented strategic communications plans for pharmaceutical, biotech and diagnostics companies. His experience includes PR, product communications, marketing communications, branding, public affairs, issues management, crisis and change communications and global employee communications. This is in addition to C-level support for speeches, presentations and media events.
Prior to working with CoActive, Rick served as head of Global Communications for Roche Molecular Diagnostics, where his responsibilities included developing marketing communications plans for RMD’s global products, corporate, executive and internal communications and change management communications. Rick has managed both the agency and corporate communications staff for some of the most successful companies in healthcare including Abbott, Eli Lilly and Aventis.
Rick’s agency experience includes Grey Communications Inc (GCI), Noonan Russo and WeissComm (now WCG), through which he served clients including Abgenix, ALZA, Chiron, Connetics, Deltagen, Forest, Genentech, Gen-Probe, GeneSoft, Given Imaging, Ischemia Research and Education Foundation, J&J, Nuvelo, PDL, Roche Molecular Diagnostics, Roche Pharma, Santen, Scios and Tercica.
Michelle Landwehr
Public & Advocacy Relations
With ten-plus years of experience in public relations, patient advocacy and event marketing, including trade show planning and support, Michelle Pollak Landwehr brings a deep understanding of the successful mix of news-driven announcements, events and advocacy partnerships to CoActive Health Communications as an independent consultant. Through her work with healthcare companies including Genentech, Amgen and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), and patient advocacy groups, Michelle has a proven track record of using strategic public relations, advocacy and marketing to increase client’s visibility.
As a lead account representative for global communications agency Weber Shandwick, Michelle managed the Genentech U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval and launch of Avastin for renal cell carcinoma while spearheading public relations for other cancer types. She supported the preparation and communications surrounding an Oncology Drug Advisory Committee (ODAC) meeting to determine potential approval of Genentech’s Avastin for glioblastoma multiforme brain tumors (GBM), which resulted in a positive vote, subsequent approval of Avastin for GBM and positive national and international media coverage.
Michelle previously served as the director of Marketing and Development for The Wellness Community (re-branded The Cancer Support Community), where she partnered with GSK and Amgen, among others, on international patient education awareness and advocacy campaigns.
Michelle holds a bachelor’s degree in public communication with a minor in psychology from American University in Washington, D.C.
