Congratulations to Kathryn Metcalfe, an adviser to the Integrated Marketing and Communications (IMC) program within the Division of Programs in Business. Metcalfe was recently named SVP and chief communications officer at CVS Health, where she leads all communications for the healthcare giant that owns CVS Pharmacy, CVS Caremark, and Aetna health insurance.
“In a rapidly changing healthcare environment, Americans are looking for solutions that are easy, accessible, and affordable,” she said. “As we emerge from the pandemic, I think there is no company better positioned than CVS Health to transform healthcare and return Americans to health.”
A firm believer in the power of healthcare communications to aid in a recovery by helping companies to define their future, she observed, “It is often the marketing and communications teams that have an enterprise view in business, whereas everything else is siloed. But because of our function, we are able to see every part of an organization and connect the dots in a unique way. We are also externally focused and receive feedback from various stakeholders. This will be critical for communicators to leverage going forward.”
That is why Metcalfe, who has taught courses in the IMC program, jumped at the chance to serve as an adviser for the program’s new Certificate in Healthcare Marketing and Communications, and its work more broadly on the transformation of Marketing and PR. “I wanted to do something that kept me close to the energy and the passion of students,” she said, adding, “NYU SPS is a terrific school, with an outstanding student population, and the program is really progressive and on the cutting edge.”
Her advice to students:
- Think big and act bold.
- Take advantage of the incredible staff, faculty, and advisers at NYU SPS.
- Explore all aspects of the communications function and the industries and companies to which you are exposed.
- Sample everything, whether investor relations or media relations.
- Get comfortable with technology. Satisfy your curiosity.
This is Metcalfe’s second stint heading communications for CVS Health, where she will work with new CEO Karen Lynch, the highest ranked female chief executive in the history of the Fortune 500 list. Metcalfe was CVS Health’s chief communications officer for the first time in January 2019, following its $70 billion acquisition of Aetna. She served at Aetna in 2016 as the chief communications officer, and also was named to the PRWeek Hall of Femme 2019 class.