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Mission hires marketing executive

By Bill Moss, Published: October 22, 2012

ASHEVILLE — Neil Gurney has been named vice president of strategic implementation at Mission Health, the hospital announced.

A seasoned veteran of both the U.S. and global advertising industries, Gurney will provide strategic direction for Mission Health and Mission Foundation, seeking to expand and refine a compelling brand and message for both entities, Mission said in a news release.

Gurney comes to Mission Health with an extensive background in brand strategy and marketing. Before moving to the United States, he served as CEO of the Saatchi & Saatchi group in Africa, made up of included 16 agencies and 400 staff members. It had annual billings of more than $80 million. At Saatchi & Saatchi, he had the opportunity to develop some the globe's best-known brands, including Guinness, Metropolitan Life, Proctor & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson and DuPont.

Most recently, Gurney served as a partner at Integritive 2 in Asheville. Joining forces with Integritive, a web specialist company, Integritive2 integrates brand marketing, advertising, interactive and sustainability all under one roof. Its clients include some of Asheville's most well established names, among them the Economic Coalition for Asheville-Buncombe County, the Asheville Airport and Tupelo Honey Café.