Growing up in the Northeast, RxBenefits Senior Director of Clinical Initiatives Paul Fortunato had rare access to the entertainment industry, which would have a hand in his lifelong appreciation for the arts. “My mother was a New York City executive negotiating on behalf of the talent at CBS Records, Nickelodeon, MTV, and more during the course of her career,” Paul said. “So I’ve always had a finger on the pulse of the music, television, and movie industries.”
On the flip side, Paul himself has a very analytical background and disposition. He attended Cornell University, where he was initially enamored with computer science, mathematics, and programming but ultimately decided to change his major within the School of Engineering to Operations Research and Information Engineering. “I’d call it the businessperson’s engineering, because while it had all the disciplines related to science and mathematics, it also incorporated marketing and product development classes so that it became more business focused,” Paul said. “It really aligned well with my interests in having a broad set of experiences within my education.”
After college, Paul was able to utilize his skills within the healthcare industry. “My entire professional career has been focused on client relationship management and delivering solutions related to complex benefit situations,” Paul said. “As my career progressed, I began specializing in pharmacy benefit solutions, allowing me to understand the most complex part of our healthcare system. I really enjoy analyzing a challenging situation and figuring out how something complicated and ugly can grow into something collaboratively beautiful.”
Today, Paul leads a multi-functional team focused on finding ways to close gaps that are growing in the stop-loss marketplace related to financial protection against high-cost specialty medications. “We have a lot of solutions on how to manage specialty costs, now we’re focused on how to manage specialty risk,” Paul said.
In his downtime, Paul holds close to his tight-knit family, building enduring experiences and memories. He also enjoys many aspects of the entertainment industry – a nod to his upbringing.
“I enjoy the balance between the cerebral work I do and being an audience to artistic creativity,” he said. “I admire people who pursue their artistry as a career. It’s a happy indulgence for me.”
