Global Brand Leader to Head Henry Ford Health System’s Brand Strategy and Customer Experience Transformation

Detroit – Following an extensive national search, Henry Ford Health System has selected global brand builder Heather Geisler as its next senior vice president and chief marketing, communications and experience officer. Geisler will join Henry Ford on Sept. 1, 2020 and will lead brand strategy and customer experience for the Detroit, MI based system comprised of six hospitals, a health plan, and more than 250 additional facilities including medical centers, walk-in and urgent care clinics, pharmacy, eye care centers and other healthcare retail.

“There has never been a more critical time for organizations like Henry Ford to build stronger connections to our patients and members, said Wright Lassiter III, president and CEO of Henry Ford Health System. “Heather is a gifted strategist and transformative leader. Her unique experience and passion for customer engagement will position us well to make an even greater impact on the communities we serve through a unified mission, unparalleled customer experience, and the innovative care for which Henry Ford has always been known.”

Geisler comes to Henry Ford from Hyatt Hotels Corporation, where she served as Senior Vice President of Global Brands. Responsible for leading global marketing, positioning and growth of Hyatt’s full and select service brands portfolio, she led a multi-disciplinary team in the development and execution of cross-functional brand-led strategies to drive revenue, preference and differentiation, including the cultivation of distinctive brand positioning among target customers, high impact and high value partnerships, and targeted multi-channel creative campaigns focused on driving engagement and conversion. In 2018, Hospitality Management Magazine named her among its “30 Most Influential Women in Hospitality.”

“I am thrilled to be joining such a storied, mission driven organization like Henry Ford,” said Geisler. “As a healthcare provider deeply rooted in our community, we understand the sacred honor we have to meet our customers’ unique health and wellness needs. That commitment goes far beyond a transactional relationship. It means truly coming alongside our customers and their communities as a safe, trusted voice and partner throughout their entire healthcare journey.”

Prior to Hyatt, Geisler was Vice President of Brand Marketing at MSNBC, where she led the development of MSNBC’s brand positioning and growth strategy, including creating integrated consumer brand experience programs and award-winning advertising campaigns. She also guided the development and promotion of the networks’ corporate social responsibility initiatives and sponsorships.

Geisler also spent more than 15 years at agencies in New York and Washington, DC leading advertising, branding and marketing campaigns for major corporate and non-profit clients. She began her professional career in the press office of U.S. Senator Tom Harkin.

Geisler is a graduate of the University of Iowa and completed the Punch Sulzberger Fellowship Program at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. She is a native of Wheaton, Illinois.

MEDIA CONTACT: Brenda D. Craig / bcraig3@hfhs.org / 313-283-8331

About Henry Ford Health System

Under the leadership of President and CEO Wright L. Lassiter, III, Henry Ford Health System is a $7 billion integrated health system comprised of six hospitals, a health plan, and 250+ sites including medical centers, walk-in and urgent care clinics, pharmacy, eye care facilities and other healthcare retail.

Established in 1915 by auto industry pioneer Henry Ford, the health system has more than 33,000 employees and remains home to the 1,900-member Henry Ford Medical Group, one of the nation’s oldest physician groups. An additional 2,200 physicians are also affiliated through the Henry Ford Physician Network.

Henry Ford is also one of the region’s major academic medical centers, receiving nearly $100 million in annual research funding and remaining among Michigan’s largest NIH-funded institutions. Also an active participant in medical education and training, the health system has trained nearly 40% of physicians currently practicing in the state and also provides education and training for other health professionals including nurses, pharmacists, radiology and respiratory technicians. For more information, visit henryford.com.