Would you sacrifice more than a billion dollars in sales to do the right thing for people’s health and wellness? That’s the decision CVS Health made in 2014 when the company removed tobacco products from all stores nationwide.

CVS made this decision because selling tobacco products was at odds with its vision to become a healthcare company with the distinct purpose to help people on their path to better health. Eileen Howard Boone, SVP of Corporate Social Responsibility & Philanthropy at CVS Health and President, CVS Health Foundation, joined Purpose 360 to talk about this bold decision as well as the company’s focused approach to social impact and how their compelling purpose drives the company forward.

Listen for Eileen’s insights on:

• The “extraordinary courage” behind the decision to remove tobacco products—and how that decision was made
• Finding an authentic purpose, and then leveraging it to lead change in the rapidly-evolving and increasingly competitive healthcare industry
• Finding mission-driven partners and building sustainable, long-term relationships
• Merging social impact commitments following CVS Health’s acquisition of Aetna

Resources + links

• CVS Health corporate
• CVS Health Foundation
• CVS Health Social Responsibility
• CVS Health 2018 CSR Report
• Tobacco Free Generation
• Eileen Howard Boone on LinkedIn
• Why CSR Should Put Business Imperatives and Social Impact Ahead of Reputation