Helena Foulkes
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Helena Grace Foulkes (née Buonanno; born July 18, 1964) is an American businesswoman and politician. She unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for
Governor of Rhode Island The governor of Rhode Island is the head of government of the U.S. state of Rhode Island and serves as commander-in-chief of the state's Army National Guard and Air National Guard. The current governor is Democrat Dan McKee. In their capac ...
in the 2022 election and is the former
Chief Executive Officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especiall ...
of
Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business di ...
.


Early life and education

The daughter of a lawyer, Helena Buonanno was born the eldest of five children. She grew up in
Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...
and attended Lincoln School in
Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...
. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from
Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher ...
, graduating ''
magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sou ...
''; there she met her husband, marrying him in 1989 in a
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ceremony. Larry Summers was her senior thesis adviser. She later earned her Master of Business Administration from
Harvard Business School Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate business school of Harvard University, a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is consistently ranked among the top business schools in the world and offers a large full-time MBA ...
.


Career

After graduating from Harvard, Foulkes briefly worked at
Goldman Sachs Goldman Sachs () is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company. Founded in 1869, Goldman Sachs is headquartered at 200 West Street in Lower Manhattan, with regional headquarters in London, Warsaw, Bangalore, Ho ...
and Tiffany & Co before leaving to earn her MBA. She began working at CVS in 1992. She rose up to become the company's executive vice president and chief marketing officer. She oversaw the launch of the ExtraCare card, a membership program offering savings to participants. Foulkes also created the Pharmacy Advisor program, its purpose being to offer advice to customers with chronic conditions, either in stores or over the phone. In 2011, CVS made Foulkes its chief health care strategy and marketing officer, a new position created for her. In July 2015, ''
Fortune Fortune may refer to: General * Fortuna or Fortune, the Roman goddess of luck * Luck * Wealth * Fortune, a prediction made in fortune-telling * Fortune, in a fortune cookie Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''The Fortune'' (1931 film) ...
'' magazine reported that as part of her role, Foulkes oversaw 9,600 retail stores and 18 distribution centers. She helped spur the decision to stop selling
cigarette A cigarette is a narrow cylinder containing a combustible material, typically tobacco, that is rolled into thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end, causing it to smolder; the resulting smoke is orally inhaled via the opp ...
s and tobacco products, citing the need for CVS to better position itself as a healthcare company. She oversaw the company's philanthropic endeavors, and developed digital strategies to help consumers learn how to fulfill their pharmaceutical needs. In 2015, ''Fortune'' magazine included her on its list of Most Powerful Women, citing Foulkes' role in the "$1.9 billion purchase of
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's prescription-filling business—a deal that will give CVS the most pharmacy locations in the U.S.—and launching upgraded beauty and healthy food sections in many of the stores". On February 5, 2018, Hudson's Bay Co., owner of
Saks Fifth Avenue Saks Fifth Avenue (originally Saks & Company; colloquially Saks) is an American luxury department store chain headquartered in New York City and founded by Andrew Saks. The original store opened in the F Street shopping district of Washingt ...
, named Foulkes its new CEO, saying it would be effective on February 19. In her first six weeks as CEO, Foulkes was challenged with refashioning the company's business strategies given the industry's declining sales at the time. In March 2020, Foulkes announced that she was leaving Hudson's Bay Co. following a deal reached with shareholders to go private. In April, 2021,
Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of highe ...
announced that Foulkes would become president of the
Harvard Board of Overseers The Harvard Board of Overseers (more formally The Honorable and Reverend the Board of Overseers) is one of Harvard University's two governing boards. Although its function is more consultative and less hands-on than the President and Fellows of Ha ...
, an alumni group that is the University’s second-highest governing body. On October 13, 2021 Foulkes announced her candidacy for
Governor of Rhode Island The governor of Rhode Island is the head of government of the U.S. state of Rhode Island and serves as commander-in-chief of the state's Army National Guard and Air National Guard. The current governor is Democrat Dan McKee. In their capac ...
.
WPRI WPRI-TV (channel 12) is a television station in Providence, Rhode Island, United States, affiliated with CBS and MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which provides certain services to dual Fox/ CW affiliate WNAC-TV (channel 64 ...
reports that "she would seek to spur job growth, reduce regulations, deal with the effects of climate change, and improve public education."


Personal life

Foulkes has four children and runs marathons. In 2009 her mother died from
lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from transformed, mali ...
. She is a granddaughter of
Thomas J. Dodd Thomas Joseph Dodd (May 15, 1907 – May 24, 1971) was an American attorney and diplomat who served as a United States Senator and Representative from Connecticut. He is the father of former U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd and Thomas J. Dodd Jr., ...
and a niece of
Chris Dodd Christopher John Dodd (born May 27, 1944) is an American lobbyist, lawyer, and Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party politician who served as a United States senator from Connecticut from 1981 to 2011. Dodd is the List of United Sta ...
, both former U.S. senators from
Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the ...
.


References


External links


Campaign website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Foulkes, Helena 1964 births 21st-century American women American women chief executives Harvard Business School alumni Goldman Sachs people Living people Rhode Island Democrats