Helena Foulkes

Helena Grace Buonanno Foulkes (; née Buonanno; born July 18, 1964) is an American businesswoman and politician. She was the chief executive officer of Hudson's Bay Company and a marketing executive at CVS Pharmacy. A member of the Democratic Party, Foulkes unsuccessfully ran for governor of Rhode Island in 2022 and is a candidate for governor again in 2026, both times challenging incumbent governor Dan McKee for the Democratic nomination.

Early life and education Buonanno was born in Providence, Rhode Island, on July 18, 1964. She is the eldest of five children of Bernard and Martha Buonanno (née Dodd), the eldest of five children. She is the maternal granddaughter of Connecticut senator Thomas J. Dodd and the niece of Connecticut senator and 2008 presidential candidate Chris Dodd.

Buonanno was raised in Rhode Island and attended Lincoln School in Providence. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Harvard College, graduating magna cum laude in 1986. While at Harvard, Buonanno's senior thesis was advised by Larry Summers. In July 2015, Fortune magazine reported that as part of her role, Buonanno Foulkes oversaw 9,600 retail stores and 18 distribution centers. She helped spur the decision to stop selling cigarettes and tobacco products, citing the need for CVS to better position itself as a healthcare company. She oversaw the company's philanthropic endeavors, and developed digital strategies to help consumers learn how to fulfill their pharmaceutical needs.

On February 5, 2018, Hudson's Bay Co., owner of Saks Fifth Avenue, named Buonanno Foulkes its new CEO, saying it would be effective on February 19. In her first six weeks as CEO, Buonanno Foulkes was challenged with refashioning the company's business strategies given the industry's declining sales at the time.

In March 2020, Buonanno Foulkes announced that she was leaving Hudson's Bay Co. following a deal reached with shareholders to go private.

Political career On October 13, 2021, Buonanno Foulkes announced her candidacy for governor of Rhode Island in the 2022 election. WPRI reported that "she would seek to spur job growth, reduce regulations, deal with the effects of climate change, and improve public education." She lost the Democratic primary to incumbent governor Dan McKee by just over 3,300 votes.

On September 9, 2025, Buonanno Foulkes announced her candidacy for governor of Rhode Island in the 2026 election. She will again face McKee in the Democratic primary.

Personal life Through her mother Martha, Buonanno Foulkes is a member of the Dodd family. Her grandfather Thomas J. Dodd was a prosecutor during the Nuremberg Trials and later a senator from Connecticut, her uncle Chris Dodd was a former U.S. senator and the partial namesake of the Dodd-Frank Act, while her uncle Thomas was a U.S. ambassador under the Clinton administration.

Buonanno Foulkes married William Foulkes in 1989.