Ed Stapor and Alexandra von Plato will be honored by the organization at their annual awards dinner, set for February 11, 2027, inNew York City

October 28, 2026 — The Medical Advertising Hall of Fame (The Hall) has announced its 2026 inductees: Ed Stapor, formerPartner-at-Large, Havas Health, and Alexandra von Plato, former CEO, Publicis Health.

Ed Stapor’s 33-year career at Havas Health began not in advertising, but in finance — he earned an MBA from Concordia University and spent several years as a Senior Financial Analyst at Gillette Canada before joining the agency (then Euro RSCG Life) in Canada in 1993. He quickly rose to lead it, and in the years that followed built and transformed agencies across Canada, the United States and Europe, growing Euro RSCG Life LM&P Canada into one of the country’s largest healthcare agencies with a roster spanning Biaxin, Celexa, Diovan, Nasonex and Viagra.

Ed’s most lasting contribution was redefining what “global” meant in healthcare advertising. He led the team that built a fully integrated, single-P&L model to relaunch Lantus across more than 80 markets, then helped translate those lessons into Havas Health’s global agency model — a structure that now drives roughly 70% of the network’s worldwide income and has powered major wins including Amgen, Pfizer, Novartis and Merck. Known affectionately at Havas as “The King,” Ed became as famous for his signature “Woo!” at pitch kickoffs as for the results that followed.

Equally important to Ed was building people, not just business. He created WINGS, CONNECTIONS and his monthly “Ed Talks” to mentor the next generation of agency leaders, and remained personally accessible — always willing to review the work and help someone understand why it could be better. Ed retired from Havas Health in June 2026 after more than four decades in the industry; he lives in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, with his wife Natalie, and remains as active as ever in his community.

Alexandra “Alex” von Plato began her career as a television and commercial producer before joining Medical Broadcasting Company in 1995, where as Chief Creative Officer she helped pioneer some of the industry’s first digital marketing campaigns — for brands including Tylenol, Viagra and Crestor — and produced the nationally syndicated series “Prevention’s Bodysense.” That early digital expertise became the foundation for Digitas Health, which she built starting in 2006 into one of the most successful and award-winning healthcare agencies of the decade.

Rising through Publicis Health’s global leadership, Alex was named the network’s first woman CEO in 2018, a role she held for six years alongside her tenure as Chairwoman through 2025. Under her leadership, Publicis Health grew to more than 5,000 employees across 17 agency brands in seven countries, expanded through the acquisitions of Payer Sciences and BBK Worldwide, and built an industry-leading data and analytics practice grounded in her belief that “data is people in disguise.” Her leadership has been recognized with a 2017 induction into the DTC National Hall of Fame, a 2021 Campaign US “40 Over 40” honor, and an MM+M Pinnacle Award.

Alex’s impact extends well beyond the agency walls she built. She serves as Vice Chair of the Health System Board at ChristianaCare and joined Deerfield Group’s Board of Directors in 2026, alongside board service with the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America and the Barnes Foundation. Her legacy lives not only in the businesses she built, but in the leaders she shaped along the way.

About the Medical Advertising Hall of Fame: Founded in 1996, the Medical Advertising Hall of Fame (The Hall) preserves the history and heritage of the medical advertising profession, honoring the industry’s most influential and respected forebears through annual induction. Over time, The Hall’s mission has grown to include recognizing excellence in creative work and developing educational resources that support and inspire the next generation of healthcare communicators.

The inductees will be honored on February 11, 2027, at a black-tie dinner at The Pierre in New York City. Seats and tables may be reserved at www.mahf.com/AwardsDinner. For information about advertising opportunities in the Awards Dinner program or The Hall’s other programming, please contact Executive Director Anne Gideon at anne@mahf.com.