Helena Buonanno Foulkes
American businesswoman (born 1964)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Helena Grace Buonanno Foulkes (née Buonanno; born July 18, 1964) is an American businesswoman and politician. She unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for governor of Rhode Island in the 2022 election and is the former chief executive officer of Hudson's Bay Company.
July 18, 1964
Helena Buonanno Foulkes | |
|---|---|
Foulkes in 2014 | |
| Born | Helena Grace Buonanno July 18, 1964 |
| Education | Harvard University (AB, MBA) |
Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
William Foulkes (m. 1989) |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | Chris Dodd (uncle) Thomas J. Dodd Jr. (uncle) Thomas J. Dodd (grandfather) |
Early life and education
Buonanno was born in 1964 to Bernard and Martha Buonanno (née Dodd), the eldest of five children.[1][2] She grew up in Rhode Island and attended Lincoln School in Providence. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Harvard College, graduating magna cum laude in 1986.[3] While at Harvard, Buonanno's senior thesis was advised by Larry Summers.[4] She later earned her Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.[4]
Career
After graduating from Harvard, Buonanno Foulkes briefly worked at Goldman Sachs and Tiffany & Co before leaving to earn her MBA. She began working at CVS in 1992.[4] She rose 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.[5] Buonanno 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.[4]
In 2011, CVS made Buonanno Foulkes its chief health care strategy and marketing officer, a new position created for her.[5] In July 2015, Fortune magazine reported that as part of her role, Buonanno Foulkes oversaw 9,600 retail stores and 18 distribution centers.[6] 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.[4][7] She oversaw the company's philanthropic endeavors, and developed digital strategies to help consumers learn how to fulfill their pharmaceutical needs.[5]
In 2015, Fortune magazine included her on its list of Most Powerful Women, citing Buonanno 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".[8]
On February 5, 2018, Hudson's Bay Co., owner of Saks Fifth Avenue, named Buonanno Foulkes its new CEO, saying it would be effective on February 19.[9][10][11] In her first six weeks as CEO, Buonanno Foulkes was challenged with refashioning the company's business strategies given the industry's declining sales at the time.[12]
In March 2020, Buonanno Foulkes announced that she was leaving Hudson's Bay Co. following a deal reached with shareholders to go private.[13][14]
Political career
On October 13, 2021, Buonanno Foulkes announced her candidacy for governor of Rhode Island in the 2022 election. WPRI reported that "she would seek to spur job growth, reduce regulations, deal with the effects of climate change, and improve public education."[15] She lost the Democratic primary to incumbent governor Dan McKee by just over 3,300 votes.
On September 9, 2025, Buonanno Foulkes announced her candidacy for governor of Rhode Island in the 2026 election. She will again face McKee in the Democratic primary.[16]
Personal life
Through her mother Martha, Buonanno Foulkes is a member of the Dodd family. Her grandfather Thomas J. Dodd was a prosecutor during the Nuremberg Trials and later a senator from Connecticut, her uncle Chris Dodd was a former U.S. senator and the partial namesake of the Dodd-Frank Act, while her uncle Thomas was a U.S. ambassador under the Clinton administration.[17]
Buonanno Foulkes married William Foulkes in 1989.[17] The two met while students at Harvard, and have four children.[4]
From 2016 to 2022, Buonanno Foulkes served on the Harvard Board of Overseers, the university's second-highest governing body. She was the board's president from 2021-2022.[18][19]
