DUHS Names New CMCO, Vice President
Rob Odom will join Duke Health as Chief Marketing & Communications Officer (CMCO) and Vice President, Duke University Health System (DUHS), effective July 6, 2020. Rob is a highly accomplished executive adept at heightening an organization’s brand reputation and fostering effective communication across diverse constituencies. With his breadth of communication experiences and proven capabilities in advancing the brand of an academic health system, he will bring tremendous value to our organization, particularly during this time of unprecedented change, transformation and renewal.
In his role, Rob will be responsible for clearly articulating DUHS' distinctive value proposition and competitive advantage to grow patient volumes and increase patient loyalty as well as engage the hearts and minds of our most important ambassadors — our team members. He will provide leadership in creating and executing on innovative communication strategies to educate and inform our DUHS community, the broader Duke University community, and external groups. He will oversee the establishment and deployment of comprehensive multichannel marketing, diversified advertising and creative communication campaigns designed to tell our story in a compelling and differentiating manner. Building upon Duke Health’s prestigious standing in healthcare, Rob will focus on strategies to further elevate and vitalize our market presence. He will serve as a member of the executive team, reporting to me.
Rob comes to us from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Health where he has served as Vice President, Marketing and Brand Management. A visionary and results-oriented leader, Rob has led the UCSF Health brand in achieving significant market recognition in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area. His innovative prowess and pioneering leadership resulted in an impressive Emmy award-winning partnership with CBS Eye on Health. Greatly respected for his collaborative leadership style, Rob is known for building and bridging teams across large complex organizations, promoting partnership and improving performance. Under his leadership, digital marketing and social media initiatives have led to remarkable measurable results, increasing brand awareness and preference for the health system.
Rob brings more than 25 years of experience leading marketing and communications functions, predominantly in the healthcare sector. Prior to UCSF Health, he held leadership positions at Kaiser Permanente, Inc. in Portland Oregon, where he served as Director, Marketing and Public Relations, and at Providence Health & Services (also in Portland), where he served as Senior Communications Consultant and Marketing Manager.
A Duke graduate, earning a B.A. in English, he is eager to return and contribute to his alma mater. Rob also holds an M.A. in English from Cornell University.
Rob’s selection as DUHS' Chief Marketing & Communications Officer follows an extensive national search that engaged a number of stakeholders across Duke Health and Duke University. To all who participated in this process, I express my great appreciation for the time and effort you devoted to enabling this successful recruitment.
Rob succeeds Shannon Janney, to whom we are grateful for tirelessly contributing her expertise as interim, Vice President Marketing & Communications, DUHS, particularly during this pandemic. Shannon plans to retire in June after eight years of outstanding service to Duke Health. Please join me in thanking Shannon for her many significant achievements and contributions, and in wishing her the very best in the next chapter of her life.
Please also join me in welcoming Rob back to Durham and Duke and to Duke Health.