Fitbit Exec To Helm CVS Health Initiatives

Fitbit executive Adam Pellegrini will leave the company to join CVS and spearhead its initiatives in consumer health, according to a report by CNBC.

Pellegrini will start his position on Monday (Sept. 9). His official title will be senior vice president of transformation consumer health products. Pellegrini will report directly to CVS Chief Transformation Officer Alan Lotvin.

Pellegrini will “lead the ideation and incubation of consumer-focused health products and services that drive enterprise value and growth,” according to a memo announcing the move.

Fitbit said its COO of Health Solutions Amy McDonough will replace Pellegrini.

CVS recently acquired health insurer Aetna for $70 billion, and it is renovating about 1,500 of its 10,000 stores to be more health-oriented. The new spaces will be called HealthHUBs, and will include clinics with labs to do blood tests, as well as dietitians and wellness rooms. CVS hopes the new additions will continue to drive traffic to the stores. They have already rolled out some new health-related features, like the ability to talk to doctors virtually, in partnership with Teladoc.

Pellegrini started at Fitbit in 2016 as vice president of digital health. He also previously worked at Walgreens, a CVS competitor, where he helped the company integrate data from wearables into a rewards program.

The CVS membership program, CarePass, is expanding nationally with free delivery for an annual fee. Membership is $5 per month or $48 a year, which includes access to free two-day delivery of store products and prescriptions. Members also get a $10 coupon each month, special discounts and access to a pharmacy hotline. The pilot program indicated that 20 percent of users were millennials and that CarePass members spent 15-20 percent more at CVS.