Education is the Ticket to Success

Interview with Cristy Garcia-Thomas, Chief External Affairs Officer for Advocate Aurora Health

By Andrea Pina

Cristy is a second-generation born American of Mexican descent. She highly praises the value of education, as it has deeply influenced her actions and decisions throughout life. She is a first-generation college graduate who has seen how having adequate predation will undoubtedly open more and better professional opportunities. 

Cristy began her career as a Journalism major but has moved in a different direction, achieving well-rounded professional expertise and perspective. Currently, she serves as Chief External Affairs Officer for Advocate Aurora Health.  Cristy is responsible for the overall patient, team member and community partner experience. She oversees DE&I, interpreter services, community clinical relations, charitable giving and community health programs & services. 

Her journey as Board Director began in 2018 when Delta Dental of Wisconsin recruited her for a board seat. Then two years ago, she joined the Board of Directors of WEC Energy Group. 

As a board member and C-suite executive, Cristy knows the importance of balancing work and board responsibilities. She works hard to prioritize her day job while simultaneously remaining committed to her board work. “It’s all about accountability, balance and planning. You need to make sure you carve out time of your calendar to prepare. This creates the space and place to home in on strategy and truly understand how your decisions impact those you are accountable to like shareholders,” Cristy highlights. 

Being a Latina advancing in the corporate environment has not always been easy. As she rose through ranks, oftentimes she was the youngest or only woman of color in the room. Instead of letting this deter her, Cristy used her life experience as her strength and remained confident in her leadership abilities. “I was sure of how far I could go. It would have been easy to doubt myself. Ultimately, I knew that my perspective was something that needed to be heard and could create a new company landscape,” says Garcia-Thomas. She says this was also fueled by surrounding herself with the right people.  “I am grateful for good leaders who empowered me, allowing me to grow professionally.”

Cristy has continued her path into her current position at Advocate Aurora Health and positions on corporates board. She earned these roles from her proven leadership abilities, emotional intelligence and resilience. Additionally, she brings a solid foundation in understanding talent management, ESG and strong financial acumen through innovation, market growth and consumer loyalty while ensuring the financial success of the company. Beyond all of this though, Cristy says everything is rooted in being herself. “No matter the role, it’s truly about being genuine and creating an environment where others can be themselves. This creates a space where all the voices at the table are heard leading to a strong corporate culture. In the end, this is critical for a company’s success,” she highlights.

Another key commitment for Cristy is to give back to the Hispanic community. Most Hispanic communities are under seen and underserved. Cristy wants to change that. “I want to open doors and give back some of the support I’ve had in my life that others do not have. There are not enough Hispanics advancing on the corporate pipeline.”

The future will still bring many accomplishments for Garcia-Thomas. She wants to continue working on closing the equity gap, helping communities to eliminate the barriers – empowering them to live better lives and have better opportunities. “There are places where your well-being depends on your birth zip code. This defines the quality of education, healthcare and the probabilities of success you will have, and it is not right,” she emphasizes. 

She also wants to expand her influence in the corporate environment, serving in different boards. “I want to positively impact strategies, allowing companies to flourish and grow with responsibility.”

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I was sure of how far I could go. It would have been easy to doubt myself. Ultimately, I knew that my perspective was something that needed to be heard and could create a new company landscape,” says Garcia-Thomas.

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Photo credit: Powell Photography & Creative Services

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