2 Minutes With … Christi Geary, VP of N.A. Omni Marketing at Bayer Consumer Health

With over 20 years of experience, Christi is currently vice president of N.A. Omni Marketing at Bayer Consumer Health. In addition to Bayer, she has worked with other global CPG companies, including Procter & Gamble. 

We spent two minutes with Christi to learn more about her background, her creative inspirations and recent work she’s admired.

Christi, tell us …

Where you grew up, and where you live now. 

I was born and raised in St. Louis, and attended Washington University there. That said, I’ve always had an affinity for the East Coast, as we had family in New York and D.C. We live in New Jersey, just outside NYC.

How you first got interested in health. 

My passion for health was nurtured over my 15+ years as a competitive swimmer. As a mother of two girls, health has taken on an entirely new meaning as we strive to enable their mental, physical and emotional well-being every day. 

A recent project you’re proud of.

In my previous role, I was given the opportunity to design and deliver an event that would be a game-changer. It coincided with the early days of Covid. Nevertheless, we delivered a breakthrough event that curated best-in-class storytelling from industry-leading partners. Due to its success, the event was renewed annually.

One thing about how health is evolving that you’re excited about. 

The rapid evolution of tech and AI offers the promise of unprecedented levels of accessibility and transparency. If handled carefully, it should help all of us by freeing up time to focus on quality engagement and output instead of transactional tasks. I believe this will drive awareness and equality by removing our unconscious bias in treatment and providing access to healthcare in underserved communities. 

Someone else’s work, in health or beyond, that you admired lately.

Greta Gerwig, without a doubt. She has managed to tap into the cultural zeitgeist with a sprinkle of nostalgia pumped up on energy, humor and music. At its core, Barbie showcases the critical importance and simplicity of focusing on happiness, fulfillment, individualism and equality. As a working mom, Barbie continues to play as the inspiration in my head when things get challenging.

A book, movie, TV show or podcast you recently found inspiring. 

From a book standpoint, let’s go with Humanocracy by Gary Hamel and Michele Zanini, as it was recommended by our new Bayer CEO, Bill Anderson. It focuses on the energy of the organization, dialing up the importance of resilience and risk-taking as critical change drivers.

From a podcast standpoint, it’s a toss-up between Freakonomics and West Wing Weekly.  

On TV, we recently watched Chris Hemsworth’s docuseries Limitless, which explores our ability to understand and conquer human limitations. 

Your favorite fictional character. 

It’s a Disney toss-up between Gramma Tala in Moana and Guy from Free Guy. Gramma Tala has achieved a level of wisdom, wit and humor that I aspire to emulate. Guy hits the sweet spot of childlike wonder.

Someone worth following in social media. 

Bill Nye and Brene Brown. They both provide content that makes you think differently and, hopefully, strive to be a better person.

What you’d be doing if you weren’t in health. 

Writing and illustrating children’s books, while serving as a life-coach.