Catherine Fink, newly named EVP of health and wellness at Porter Novelli, said her motivation to work in healthcare is simple: “It’s universal,” she explains. “Everyone will be a patient someday. No matter where you come from, entering and navigating the healthcare system is a humbling and stressful experience.
“At the end of my day, my job enables people to make better, informed choices that resonate with their values. That’s extremely gratifying.”
Fink began her career in healthcare by working in patient and consumer education. She founded her own company, specializing in education marketing, while pioneering the “approach of partnering pharma clients with advocacy to drive behavioral change.”
Fink credits her education with helping lead her to this point, saying, “I majored in film and American studies, so understanding how to communicate with diverse groups of people, distilling messages down to their simplest, most actionable terms, and reaching people in creative ways is something I have always done.”
Her advice for those looking to pave their own path to success? “Do your homework. Take chances but be informed enough to make strategic risks. In the agency world you are only as good as your last project, so don’t accept anything less than excellent. The people you work with and for are going to make or break you, so make sure your values align.”
And in finding people who share your values, Fink recommends, “Cultivate a network of people with diverse backgrounds from whom you can seek advice and -guidance and continue to build it. Join an organization with strong leadership. You will learn something even if it isn’t your long-term employer. Keep learning.”
From the October 01, 2015 Issue of MM+M - Medical Marketing and Media
