9. Kym White, global chair for health sector, Edelman
By Helena Foulkes, EVP, CVS Health and president, CVS Pharmacy
Kym White has the insight, passion, curiosity, and drive that define a true health influencer in PR.
When our company, then CVS Caremark, began serious discussions about announcing that we would eliminate the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products at our retail stores, Kym was one of the first people we called.
She instantly grasped this decision was not only the right thing for us to do as a healthcare company, but that it would also be seen as a game-changer for our brand. Kym was passionate about reaching our stakeholders with the news of our decision and applied her skills in strategizing the PR approach.
I’d say we achieved — and exceeded — our comms and reputational goals with accolades coming from the media, the general public, the healthcare community, and the president.
Several months later, when we rebranded as CVS Health — on the same day the last packs of cigarettes were removed from our stores — Kym stood with us again at Bryant Park in New York City as we extinguished a final, giant symbolic cigarette.
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From the November 01, 2016 Issue of MM+M - Medical Marketing and Media
