Mark Leonard is the president & CEO of Next Level Agency, a full-service marketing communications consultancy based in the Chicago area. Mark has more than 25 years of experience working with a wide variety of healthcare companies, including Pfizer, Eli Lilly (Zyprexa and Prozac), Abbott Laboratories, Zimmer Orthopaedics, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals (formerly Questcor), Hollister, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Actient Pharmaceuticals, Smith & Nephew, Jazz Pharmaceuticals (sleep disorders), Cord Blood Registry, Alza, Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, Asterias Biotherapeutics (spinal cord injury), Horizon Pharmaceuticals, Crealta (gout), TerSera Therapeutics, Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Aimmune Therapeutics, AgeX (human longevity), Processa Pharmaceuticals, Makana Therapeutics (xenotransplantation), Spinal Elements, Life Spine, Alphatec Spine, Neurelis (epilepsy), MEI Pharma (oncology/hematology), Veru Pharmaceuticals (oncology), Vivus (sexual dysfunction), Lineage Cell Therapeutics, AgeX, LIDE Biotech, American Association of Neuroscience Nurses, Assertio Therapeutics and AirAnswers, among many others. Mark has also worked with numerous start-ups and emerging companies to help put in place necessary communications platforms.

His areas of expertise include: strategic counsel, advocacy relations, development of strategic partnerships, corporate communications, public relations, patient and advocacy communications, strategic work with KOLs and medical institutions, corporate image messaging, charitable grants and contributions, unbranded promotions, crisis communications, video production, website development and SEO, social media, product launches, FDA hearings, government relations and CMS support, national sales meetings, speech writing and celebrity programming, along with internal and external communications.

Mark has experience in biopharmaceuticals and the device market spaces, working in adult and child neurology, mental health, allergy and infectious disease, diabetes, dermatology, rheumatology, nephrology, pulmonology, oncology/hematology, urology, orthopaedics, OB/GYN, pediatrics, aging/human longevity, rare diseases, and sports medicine, among others.

In addition to his healthcare experience, Mark has supported the marketing and communications of many business-to-business and consumer clients, including McDonald’s, Johnnie-O, Motorola and Under Armour. He has also served as the marketing agent for Floyd Mayweather, Jr., Sammy Sosa and other notable celebrities and personalities.

Mark is adept at working with the C-Suite on down to key management and product directors to help facilitate company goals and objectives. His cross-functional experience allows for faster workflow and increased output – important considerations for new or growing companies.

Prior to founding Next Level in 2005, Mark served as the founder, president & CEO of Integrated Marketing Solutions in Chicago. He also served as Vice President of Edelman Public Relations, the world’s largest PR firm. He helped start – and grow – the agency’s healthcare practice in Chicago.

Mark also worked as a communications specialist at Zenith Electronics Corp. and served as a legislative aide in the U.S. Congress and for the State of Iowa.

He is a graduate of the University of Iowa with a B.A. in Journalism and Political Science.