Bates Canada has set up a separate Toronto division called HealthCom Canada headed by Kevin Roberts as vice-president, group account director.

Roberts comes from eight years with Bates Medical and Consumer in South Africa, most recently as managing director.

Own agency

Before that, he ran his own South African medical advertising agency, which he started after 15 years in the marketing department of Schering Plough.

Dawn Thompson, Bates vice-president, creative, will contribute her experience in healthcare and pharmaceutical advertising as writer, director and producer for HealthCom.

HealthCom is doing work for Warner-Wellcome Canada brands Sudafed, Benylin and Sinutab, and the Laser Centre of Toronto.

Seventeen-year-old Bates Medical of South Africa was the first specialized healthcare unit to be established by the Bates network.

HealthCom was formed in the u.k. three years ago, and has since rolled out to New York, Germany, Milan, Italy, Australia and now Canada. PS