AGE: 37
TITLE: National Vice President, Public Relations
COMPANY NAME: UnitedHealthcare
COMPANY’S LOCATION: Hartford
RESIDENCE: West Hartford
What do you do? I manage both the national and local public relations programs for UnitedHealthcare, a national health and well being company that provides a full spectrum of consumer-oriented health benefit plans and services to individuals, public sector employers and businesses of all sizes. My primary responsibility is to build the outward image of UnitedHealthcare through media and community relations, which includes dedicating a large amount of time working with the press and serving as a corporate spokesman.
What do you want to be doing in 10 years? I guess retirement would be a little too optimistic, now wouldn’t it? I love the people I work with and one of the best things about UnitedHealthcare is that there is always something new to learn about or to work on, so every day is like I have a new job.
What is your biggest strength? I think I’m able to build strong, effective teams that thrive on working together. Much like in athletics, the most successful teams are ones where each person can anticipate what the others are thinking, oftentimes before they even make their next move or play. It’s no different in the corporate environment – each individual can have the greatest skills on paper, but unless the team feels truly connected to each other and everyone wants to help their peers succeed, you’re not going to realize the full potential of the team you’ve assembled.
Where do you go for new ideas? I like to brainstorm with different individuals all across the company, not just within my department. Sometimes the best ideas for my work come from a conversation with someone who has no background at all in public relations, so they bring a completely different perspective on how to look at something. Getting out of the office environment and grabbing a cup of coffee with someone can often be the most valuable meeting of the day.
What is the best advice you received? From my high school journalism professor: “Be authentic.” If you’re genuine in everything you do, and more importantly in how you work with others, you can’t go wrong. Others may not always agree with you, but they’ll appreciate an honest dialogue and more often than not they’ll want to come back to you because of the trust you’ll build.
What service or charitable cause has your attention? I’ve been a longtime contributor to St. Jude Children’s Hospital. I had an opportunity to visit them a few years ago, and as a father of three healthy young children, I can only imagine the heartache parents go through watching their kids battle such severe illnesses. I know I’d be grateful for the same if it was one of my children.
