Elizabeth Karvonen

Elizabeth Karvonen, vice president of strategic initiatives and CVS team lead at the Emerson Group, never loses sight of what comes next. 

“My focus is on shaping the company’s future by aligning growth strategy, partnerships and innovation,” she said. “I work across the organization to identify where we can expand our capabilities, strengthen our culture and build long-term enterprise value.

I also lead the CVS team, where my responsibility is to ensure Emerson is viewed not simply as a vendor, but as a strategic partner.”

When asked about priorities, she cites growth, defining it in two different dimensions.

“First, the growth of my team. It has been one of the greatest honors of my career to watch team members stretch beyond their comfort zones, build confidence and step into larger leadership roles,” she noted. “I’ve benefited tremendously from mentors who pushed me to think bigger and lead differently, and I’m committed to doing the same for the people around me. Second, the growth of the company. I’m fortunate to work for a CEO [Scott Emerson] who is open to new ideas and willing to invest in them.” 

The efforts of Karvonen and her team haven’t gone unnoticed. CVS Health recently named Emerson Group its brand partner of the year. “The award reflected not just strong sales performance, but the depth of partnership we’ve built,” said Karvonen. “We delivered strategic, forward-looking ideas; strengthened collaboration across functions; and consistently brought meaningful insights from our brand portfolio to help CVS grow.”