CVS Names Michelle Peluso Its First Chief Customer Officer

Healthcare and pharmacy giant CVS Health appointed Michelle Peluso to the newly created role of chief customer officer, with direct oversight of its marketing and brand strategy, the company said today. She will begin the job on Jan. 25, with a mandate to transform both the end-to-end customer experience and accelerate CVS Health's digital strategy. "Michelle is a seasoned executive with a strong track record in building a world-class consumer experience and delivering results," said Karen S. Lynch, who will assume the roles of president and CEO at CVS Health on Feb. 1. "Michelle's consumer focus will accelerate our work to ensure a connected health experience across all CVS Health touch points, as we continue to reshape healthcare as we know it today," she added in a statement. Peluso joins the company in the midst of an evolution of its own: It rolled out its own in-house media network in late summer and was the first national retailer to accept PayPal and Venmo. As the largest pharmacy chain, CVS is attempting to hold off chief rival Walgreens, as well as newer entrant Amazon in an increasingly competitive field. Peluso, who will directly report to Lynch, has 25 years of experience, including her most recent role as the CMO for IT services and software provider IBM, where she oversaw marketing and brand strategy as well as digital sales and the commercial business, with responsibility for over $5 billion in revenue. She was also in charge of Big Blue's client experience, achieving a significant increase in the company's Net Promotor Score, with an emphasis on accelerating IBM's digital capabilities, according to CVS. Prior to IBM, Peluso was the chief consumer marketing and internet officer for financial services group Citigroup, leading that bank's digital transformation. Her resume includes retail, serving as both the CEO of the digital luxury retailer Gilt Groupe and as the CEO of online travel booking business Travelocity.com. Her experience extends outside of the corporate world, too: She previously served as a White House fellow and senior adviser to former President Bill Clinton's Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman. In addition, CVS described Peluso as a passionate advocate for women, diversity and inclusion. She is currently a member of the Ad Council as well as athletic wear giant Nike's board of directors, and is on the executive council of the board of directors of the Association of National Advertisers. "I'm thrilled to join CVS Health and to help lead its purpose of helping people on their path to better health by giving every customer a connected experience that better meets their needs," Peluso said. "Covid-19 has accelerated changes to healthcare delivery, and CVS Health's diversified offerings give it an unparalleled opportunity to lead the way in providing customers with a personalized and seamless experience at every interaction."