Eileen Cassidy Rivera
Vice President of Public Relations and External Communications, Maximus
Eileen Cassidy Rivera is an industry leader in marketing and communications through her dedication to crafting a compelling story and identifying the most effective avenues to reach the right audiences. During her time at Maximus, Rivera led the company’s messaging shift, which accompanies a new strategy to proactively reach customers, government leaders, elected officials, the media and the public so they have a greater understanding and appreciation of the company and how it impacts people’s lives.
“My goal is to drive a renewed understanding and appreciation for the power of proactive media to tell the Maximus story and build trust in our brand,” she said. “In my role leading our public relations strategy, we have focused on helping audiences understand our unique mission, the role we play helping government move forward and how we literally touch the lives of millions of Americans every day, which has included the need to correct misinformation about our work.”
This year, the company navigated an unexpected decision by the Department of Health and Human Services to re-bid its largest contract with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, despite Maximus reaching record customer service levels.
“I worked with The Washington Post to reveal the truth and political motivations behind the HHS action which ended up as a front-page story,” Rivera said. “The story was so powerful, 17 state attorneys general cited it in a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra as they urged the department to focus on the needs of Americans, mainly seniors, who rely on the Maximus-managed program for health care benefits.”
Rivera’s ability to successfully shape public perception of companies resulted in the publishing of her first book, “Hard Talk: Confessions of an Accidental Marketing and Communications Professional.”
“The book is about the successful strategies and tactics I’ve used to build and transform brands, while acknowledging the perseverance and resilience needed to overcome gender and cultural barriers,” she said. “I’ve developed my own brand of ‘hard talk’ during my career that has resonated with leadership and the media.”
Why Watch
Rivera’s plans for the future are already in action, as she aims to drive more proactive media coverage of Maximus in local markets with large Maximus employee populations. For example, Maximus CEO Bruce Caswell recently conducted one-on-one interviews with reporters in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and Tampa, Florida.
“We’re in the process of developing an influencer strategy to further deliver our company’s message and leverage the virality that content creators develop to reach younger audiences,” Rivera said. “Today’s young Americans do not have the same trust with traditional media as older generations, so it’s time for a new approach to get our message to the people that need to hear it.”
As Rivera surveys the future, she is excited about the potential as Maximus continues to expand its technology footprint, bring on new leaders and expand relationships with government agencies at the state, federal and global levels.
She said the ethos of her work is best summed up by a Michelle Obama quote: “Don’t ever make decisions based on fear. Make decisions based on hope and possibility. Make decisions based on what should happen, not what shouldn’t.”