Health Care Communications Leader Gulden Mesara Joins City of Hope as Chief Communications and Marketing Officer

Mesara will guide communications and marketing strategy for the independent biomedical research and treatment center

DUARTE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Health care communications and marketing leader Gulden Mesara will join City of Hope, a world-renowned independent cancer and diabetes research and treatment center, as senior vice president and chief communications and marketing officer on Sept. 15. Mesara will provide the overall strategic leadership for City of Hope’s integrated communications and marketing efforts, supporting its mission of transforming the future of health.

Mesara brings significant experience in building and leading diverse, high-performing communications and marketing teams at global Fortune 100 companies, including Pfizer, Abbott, AbbVie and, most recently, Walgreens Boots Alliance.

“Gulden is an accomplished leader who will help advance City of Hope’s commitment to delivering new models for highest quality, personalized care delivery and accelerating our translational research for the most complex cancer and diabetes challenges facing people around the world,” said Debra Fields, City of Hope executive vice president and chief transformation officer.

At Walgreens Boots Alliance, Mesara served as group vice president of communications, overseeing U.S. and global communications and events. She was previously vice president of global commercial and health communications at AbbVie, where she built and led the global communications and patient advocacy team and focused on brand positioning across therapeutic areas and raising corporate and product brand awareness.

Prior to that, Mesara spent 13 years at Pfizer where she held positions in marketing, communications and public affairs, including as regional head of communications across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America and top emerging markets throughout the world.

At City of Hope, Mesara will work closely and collaboratively with City of Hope administrative leadership and faculty to increase engagement among current and potential patients, physicians, researchers, donors, industry partners and the general public. Mesara will also serve as a member of City of Hope’s Enterprise Leadership Team.

“There is nothing more gratifying than working in health care to deliver innovations that change the experience and future for patients and their families, and no institution is better positioned to do this than City of Hope,” Mesara said. “I am very excited to be joining City of Hope at such an important time of growth. I am very inspired by City of Hope’s legacy, unique blend of compassionate care and research powerhouse focused on cancer and diabetes, and look forward to being part of an effort to increase global and national awareness of this respected brand.”

Mesara was selected as one of the “2019 Top Women in Retail” by Mass Market Retailers and as a “2019 Top Women in PR” by PRNews.

Mesara completed her graduate studies at Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, where she earned a Master of Business Administration. She also holds an M.S. in public relations from S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication, Syracuse University, and a B.A. in political and administrative sciences from University of Marmara in Istanbul, Turkey.

About City of Hope

City of Hope is an independent biomedical research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. Founded in 1913, City of Hope is a leader in bone marrow transplantation and immunotherapy such as CAR T cell therapy. City of Hope’s translational research and personalized treatment protocols advance care throughout the world. Human synthetic insulin and numerous breakthrough cancer drugs are based on technology developed at the institution. A National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, City of Hope has been ranked among the nation’s “Best Hospitals” in cancer by U.S. News & World Report for 14 consecutive years. Its main campus is located near Los Angeles, with additional locations throughout Southern California. For more information about City of Hope, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.