Helena Foulkes

The daughter of a lawyer, Helena Buonanno was born the eldest of five children. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University, graduating magna cum laude; there she met her husband,[1] marrying him in 1989 in a Roman Catholic ceremony.[2] Larry Summers was her senior thesis adviser. She later earned her Master of Business Administration from the same institution.[1]

After graduating from Harvard, Foulkes briefly worked at Goldman Sachs and Tiffany & Co before leaving to earn her MBA. She began working at CVS in 1992.[1] 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.[3] 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.[1]

In 2011, CVS made Foulkes its chief health care strategy and marketing officer, a new position created for her.[3] In July 2015, Fortune magazine reported that as part of her role, Foulkes oversaw 9,600 retail stores and 18 distribution centers.[4] She helped spur the decision to stop selling cigarettes and tobacco products, citing the need for CVS to better position itself as a healthcare company.[1][5] She oversaw the company's philanthropic endeavors, and developed digital strategies to help consumers learn how to fulfill their pharmaceutical needs.[3]

In 2015, Fortune magazine included her on its list of Most Powerful Women, citing Foulkes' role in the "$1.9 billion purchase of Target'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".[6]

On February 5, 2018, Hudson's Bay Co., owner of Saks Fifth Avenue, named Foulkes as its new CEO, saying it would be effective on February 19.[7][8][9] 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.[10]

In March 2020, Hudson's Bay Co.'s CEO Foulkes announced that she is leaving the company following the deal to reached with shareholders to go private.[11][12]

Foulkes has four children, and runs marathons. In 2009 her mother died from lung cancer.[1] She is a granddaughter of Thomas J. Dodd and a niece of Chris Dodd, both former US senators from Connecticut.[1][2]