Iris Worldwide Promotes Marie Little to Global Chief Health Officer to Lead the Growth of ‘Iris X Health’

Iris Worldwide, the global creative network, today announced the promotion of Marie Little to Global Chief Health Officer. This strategic appointment strengthens the agency's healthcare practice, Iris x Health, positioning it for global growth and innovation under Little’s leadership. She will join Iris’ global executive board and lead specialist teams for key client accounts.

Reporting directly to Zoe Eagle, CEO of Iris London, Little will oversee the execution of Iris’ healthcare strategy. She will collaborate with the agency’s experts across consulting, brand strategy, data, social, creative, and technology to develop a participative approach to problem-solving in the healthcare sector.

Building on several years of health experience with clients such as Alcon, Roche and Convatec, Iris is further investing in its global healthcare capabilities, guided by its unique participation marketing philosophy. This approach aims to transform engagement with patients and healthcare professionals, fostering deeper connections and delivering more meaningful outcomes.

Little, who joined Iris in 2024 as Managing Director of Iris’ Health offering, has over two decades of experience in the healthcare industry, specialising in delivering creative healthcare marketing and communications strategies. In her new role, she will lead Iris’ healthcare division, responsible for developing the roadmap for growth and guiding key global accounts across the agency’s network.

Prior to Iris, Little held senior roles at OPEN Health and Bedrock Healthcare Communications, where she spent over 10 years launching and scaling healthcare brands. As Client Lead and Managing Director, she drove global initiatives for clients such as Novartis, Takeda and GSK. Little also led the commercial strategy at Resonant Group, where she played a key role in transforming the agency’s growth, delivering award-winning campaigns for top pharma companies.

Ian Millner, Co-founder and Chair of Iris Worldwide, commented: “Marie’s promotion is a huge step forward for Iris x Health. She’s been instrumental in shaping our healthcare practice, and her leadership will help us keep pushing boundaries in this space. What sets Marie apart is her ability to blend healthcare know-how with creativity and collaboration. I’m excited to see her take our healthcare offering to the next level and deliver work that makes a real difference for our clients and their patients.”

Marie Little, Global Chief Health Officer, added: “I’m looking forward to taking on this new challenge. Healthcare marketing is at an inflection point, and Iris has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to creative solutions. I’m excited to lead Iris x Health in shaping the future of healthcare marketing, making a real impact on the global stage by helping our clients deliver life-changing work.”

This promotion is part of a series of significant leadership changes at Iris this year, further strengthening Iris’ creative and strategic capabilities. Recent global appointments include Menno Kluin as Global Chief Creative Officer, Eduardo Maruri as Global Creative Chair, and Leigh Armstrong as EVP Global Growth and Marketing Director. In the US, Jill Smith was named CEO of Iris Americas, while in the UK, Zoe Eagle was appointed CEO of Iris London, and Katy Hopkins was named Executive Creative Director of Iris London.

These appointments reflect Iris’ continued investment in top talent to drive innovation and success across global and local markets.