Editors’ Note

Mike Hennessy Jr. is the CEO of MJH Life Sciences, the largest privately held, independent, full-service medical communications company in North America. A strategic and growth-minded operator, Hennessy has led the company through significant expansion – both organically and through acquisition, including the transformative BPD Healthcare acquisition, which strengthened MJH’s capabilities in marketing services, creative strategy, and omnichannel execution. Under his leadership, MJH Life Sciences has broadened its influence across medical journalism, physician engagement, clinical education, AI-driven insights, managed markets solutions, and real-time data platforms. Hennessy continues to steer long-term strategic initiatives that position the company for its next era of growth, including the launch of the MJH Academy, a comprehensive learning and training platform designed to elevate industry knowledge and support partners with best-in-class educational resources. He is also focused on broadening the company’s agency services, expanding MJH’s ability to deliver integrated marketing, creative, and strategic solutions across the full product lifecycle. In addition, Hennessy is driving the company’s strengthened Medical Affairs positioning, enhancing capabilities that support scientific communications, evidence generation, and credible engagement with key stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem. Together, these initiatives reinforce MJH Life Sciences’ role as a modern, agile leader at the intersection of content, data, education, and industry partnership. Hennessy serves on several boards advancing innovation, clinical impact, and next-generation medical technologies, including PreciseDx, Innova Vascular, Sonavex, and Xenocor. He also serves on the Mike & Patti Hennessy Foundation Board, which honors his parents’ legacy and supports initiatives focused on patient education, community wellness, and scholarships for future leaders in healthcare and the sciences. The foundation’s work reflects core Hennessy family values – service, generosity, presence, and the belief that empowering others creates lasting impact.

Company Brief

MJH Life Sciences (mjhlifesciences.com) is the largest privately held medical media company in North America, dedicated to improving patient care through trusted healthcare communications, education, and research. MJH reaches over seven million healthcare decision-makers – including physicians, pharmacists, and managed care professionals – delivering essential insights across digital, print, and live platforms. With a diverse portfolio of leading brands, events, and multimedia solutions, the company connects healthcare professionals with the latest advancements and expert perspectives. Committed to driving meaningful change in healthcare, MJH Life Sciences strives to make an impact through innovation and excellence.

How do you define MJH Life Sciences’ mission?

Our mission is to improve healthcare worldwide. It is a commitment that goes far beyond our day-to-day work. We are driven by the belief that better information, better engagement, and better scientific exchange ultimately lead to better patient outcomes. Every part of MJH supports that mission, whether we are convening scientific communities, shaping clinical conversations or connecting healthcare professionals with insights they trust.

As we have grown, this mission has only deepened. Today, our ecosystem includes 65-plus highly engaged communities across all key markets, more than 2,500 educational events each year, 16 million monthly web engagements, and deep relationships with thousands of leading thought leaders. We maintain more than 15 million healthcare professional contacts and 240 million patient records. This puts us in a unique position to elevate the quality and impact of every engagement we facilitate. Improving healthcare worldwide is both our purpose and our responsibility.

Will you provide an overview of MJH Life Sciences’ business?

MJH Life Sciences is the largest healthcare engagement network in the United States. Our platform brings together scientific exchange, field execution, precision marketing, and strategic consulting into a unified and scalable engagement engine. We produce more than 2,500 live and virtual events annually, operate 8,000 informational screens at the point of care, and deliver more than 1,200 programs each year through our full-service studio. Our partnerships span more than 800 major health systems, creating an expansive reach that few organizations can match.

What differentiates MJH is the connectivity of our platform. We bring together trusted content environments, real-world data, personalized engagement strategies, and deep relationships across the healthcare ecosystem. When an organization partners with us, they gain a single, integrated solution designed to help them accelerate strategy, expand impact, and make informed decisions with confidence.

What have been the keys to MJH’s industry leadership?

Our leadership has been shaped by a competitive mindset and a deep commitment to excellence. Winning is part of our culture, and that mentality drives us to think boldly, operate with urgency, and continually reinvent how we serve the healthcare community. We never take our position for granted. Instead, we stay hungry, stay focused, and push ourselves to execute at the highest level.

Equally important are our relationships. Over decades we have built meaningful connections with healthcare professionals, thought leaders, health systems, and advisory boards across the country. These partnerships give us a frontline understanding of what clinicians need and how we can support them.

The third key is our willingness to evolve. Healthcare moves quickly, and we make sure we move faster. From expanding our data agency, Element, to strengthening our point-of-care footprint and now integrating BPD into our ecosystem, we continuously build for the future. Leadership, for us, is an active pursuit.

Where do you see the greatest opportunities for growth?

We are entering a transformative era in healthcare engagement. The most significant opportunities lie in creating a more integrated, intelligent, and personalized ecosystem for our clients. The launch of Elevate, our new consultative agency built to support biotech and pharmaceutical companies, is a direct response to this opportunity. Elevate leverages the full strength of our engagement platform, helping clients make data-driven decisions and execute with precision.

Data and AI are major drivers of growth across the industry, and our data agency Element is expanding rapidly to meet demand for predictive analytics, machine learning, and highly targeted engagement strategies. Personalization is becoming essential to reaching providers effectively. Beyond biotech and medical affairs, we are also accelerating growth in dermatology. The acquisition of NewBeauty in 2025 has strengthened our position in this market, and we are continuing to build programs, communities, events, and targeted engagements in dermatology through 2026.

Also, without question, the largest single opportunity for growth is by expanding our footprint helping health systems with their strategic marketing and communications needs through BPD. By integrating their expertise with our 65-plus brands, millions of monthly engagements, strong existing relationships across healthcare, and nationwide health system partnerships, we can elevate their impact exponentially. Looking ahead to 2026, the convergence of science, strategy, data, and AI presents extraordinary potential for growth.

How critical has it been to build the MJH team?

It has been fundamental. In any industry, but especially in healthcare, talent is everything. Our organization is only as strong as the people who power it. We have invested heavily in acquiring individuals with expertise in AI, machine learning, medical strategy, and engagement design. As the industry evolves, these skill sets become central to how we innovate and how we deliver value.

Equally important is our commitment to continuous education. Healthcare and technology are advancing at remarkable speed, and we want our teams to evolve just as quickly. That is why we created our internal AI Accelerator program, designed to teach non-developers how to build and deploy custom AI agents. The program has unlocked new capabilities across the organization and empowered employees to think creatively about how technology can amplify their work. When you combine top-tier talent with a culture of learning, you create a team that is prepared to lead.

What do you feel are the keys to effective leadership?

Leadership is not a title. It is earned every day through action, accountability, and the way you invest in others. At MJH Life Sciences, we define leadership by the impact you have on your team, your organization, and the broader healthcare community. You earn trust by showing up consistently, making tough decisions, and fostering an environment where people feel empowered to take initiative, challenge assumptions, and deliver their best work.

I learned this firsthand from my father, Mike Hennessy Sr., who founded MJH Life Sciences. He led with integrity, generosity, and an unwavering commitment to the people around him. He taught me that real leadership requires investing in others, giving people the tools and confidence to grow, and never taking the easy path when the right path requires effort. That philosophy is deeply embedded in our culture today. Leadership is demonstrated, nurtured, and earned through both results and the way we lift others as we move forward.

How do you approach your management style?

My management style is grounded in collaboration, transparency, and continuous learning. I believe leaders have a responsibility to stay curious, to read, to listen, and to expand their capabilities constantly. Podcasts, books, and industry research are a regular part of my routine because they help me stay ahead of the trends shaping our industry and our business.

I also believe that great leaders lead from the front. You cannot ask others to do what you are not willing to do yourself. I roll up my sleeves, stay close to the work, and remain connected to the teams doing it. That hands-on approach keeps me grounded and ensures that I understand the challenges, opportunities, and realities our people face. Management is about setting an example, showing commitment, and motivating others to aim high while fostering a culture of learning and growth.

What advice do you offer to young people beginning their careers?

Never stop learning and never stop pushing yourself. Good enough is never good enough. The early years of a career are the perfect time to build habits around curiosity, accountability, and self-improvement. Ask questions. Take on challenges that stretch you. Surround yourself with people who can teach you something new. Growth rarely happens in your comfort zone.

I also encourage young professionals to embrace competition. It sharpens your skills, strengthens your resolve, and helps you develop the resilience you need to succeed. Think like an owner, take pride in your outcomes, and stay focused on delivering value. If you can commit to lifelong learning and maintain a hunger for excellence, your opportunities will be limitless.