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CVS Health chief to take helm at Hudson’s Bay

Helena Foulkes, a top CVS Health Corp. executive and president of CVS Pharmacy, is taking on the CEO role at Hudson’s Bay come Feb. 19.

Photo by iStock.com

February 7, 2018 by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com

Helena Foulkes, a top CVS Health Corp. executive, is leaving her role and taking on the CEO role at Hudson's Bay come Feb. 19.

Foulkes will be the first woman to serve as CEO at the department store, which owns Saks Fifth Avenue, according to a Bloomberg report. Foulkes held the role of executive vice president of CVS Health and president of CVS Pharmacy.

The news comes just about a month since Foulkes spoke at the annual NRF "Big Show" in New York City and made several announcements regarding CVS' retail customer strategy, including new store designs and a focus on serving the family chief medical officer — the mom.

The Bloomberg report noted that Hudson's Bay is struggling with declining customer traffic amidst a  "restless activist investor."

"Helena is a transformational leader who will invigorate the business with a new perspective as we position HBC for the future," Hudson's Bay Chairman Richard Baker said in a statement. Baker had been serving as interim CEO since Jerry Storch resigned last year, according to Bloomberg.

CVS is in the midst of acquiring healthcare insurance company Aetna.

As Retail Customer Experience reported  earlier this month, Foulkes told NRF attendees that CVS is "consumer-oriented experience in healthcare," and plans to establish "health hubs" once the Aetna deal is complete.

"Our goal is to be there when consumers need us and to provide a seamless experience," said Foulkes.

About Judy Mottl

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Judy Mottl is editor of Retail Customer Experience and Digital Signage Today. She has decades of experience as a reporter, writer and editor covering technology and business for top media including AOL, InformationWeek, InternetNews and Food Truck Operator.

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