Description

Trailblazer in the Boardroom:
A fireside chat with Karen S. Lynch on leadership, resilience, and success

Karen S. Lynch
Fortune 10 CEO | Corporate Board Director|Author

Karen S. Lynch is the former Chief Executive Officer and President of CVS Health, the Fortune 5 health solutions company that provides healthcare services, retail pharmacies, clinical care, pharmacy benefits management and health insurance. Under Lynch's nearly four-year tenure as CEO (2021-late 2024), the Company served more than 186 million unique individuals across its expansive businesses and generated revenue in excess of $320 billion. Lynch led CVS Health and its 300,000 colleagues through an ambitious and strategic healthcare agenda, including diversifying the healthcare services portfolio to drive new sources of revenue, transforming the retail pharmacies, advancing the use of digital and artificial intelligence and improving health outcomes. Lynch led the Company's COVID-19 response as it vaccinated nearly one third of the American population through the pandemic. Her strategic direction ensured the Company could meet unprecedented demand for testing, vaccinations and essential healthcare services — enhancing public trust and contributing significantly to U.S. national efforts to combat the pandemic. She conceived and executed key strategic initiatives to broaden revenue streams and ensure long-term growth through acquisitions, positioning the Company for diversified growth in the evolving healthcare landscape. Under Lynch’s leadership, CVS Health made significant acquisitions to bolster its digital health capabilities, enabling technology and AI to play an increasingly pivotal role in delivering accessible, efficient, and equitable healthcare services. Lynch was instrumental in the strategic integration of technology, digital, and artificial intelligence (AI) to transform the way in which CVS Health delivers healthcare – with better access, lower cost and stronger health outcomes.

Lynch is today a leading national voice to advance and improve health outcomes in women’s health and in mental health. As CEO, her passionate commitment led to new programs to ease the pathways, and break down barriers, to ensure that women and those facing mental health issues can easily access the care they need . Lynch has over three decades of experience in the healthcare industry. Prior to her role as CEO, she was executive vice president of CVS Health. Lynch was President of Aetna for five years, where she led 20 straight quarters of revenue and profit growth. She led the integration of Aetna into CVS Health when Aetna was acquired. Before joining Aetna, Karen held senior executive positions at Cigna and Magellan Health. She began her career with Ernst & Young as a certified public accountant. Karen is currently a member of the Board of Directors of ThermoFisher Scientific and ADP; she previously served on the Board of USBank. Karen is a former member of President of the United States Export Council and served on the boards of America’s Health Insurance Plans and the John F. Kennedy Foundation. Karen graduated from Boston College and received her MBA from Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. She has honorary doctorate degrees from Bryant University, University of Hartford, and Becker College.

Karen is the author of the leadership book Taking Up Space, Get Heard, Deliver Results,
and Make a Difference, (McGraw Hill 2024).

Lynch is the author of Taking Up Space: Get Heard, Deliver Results, and Make a Difference, a leadership book that draws from her personal and professional journey to empower people to "take up space" in their careers and organizations. She shares her blueprint for navigating systemic obstacles, leading with empathy, and creating inclusive environments by using her voice and making personal, accountable contributions.