The Anniversary Spotlight highlights an employee celebrating a significant work anniversary at UPMC every month.
From a young age, Lindsay Crawford loved reading and writing stories. She recognized that storytelling is a powerful way to connect with others and share experiences. While she wasn’t certain what she wanted to be when she grew up, she always knew that she wanted communication to be a core part of her job. With guidance from her beloved college advisor, Lindsay decided to pursue a degree in the communications field.
During her time at Gannon University, Lindsay interned in the Communications and Media department at the Erie Zoo where she had the chance to educate the public about the great work the Zoo was doing to support animal conservation through stories about the animals and their keepers. She also interned in Community Relations at Erie Community Blood Bank, informing others about the importance of donating blood.
Working at the Blood Bank is where Lindsay’s interest in health care started, as she witnessed first-hand the benefit and impact of blood donations on people’s lives. She felt compelled to bring light to stories that might not otherwise be shared.
After obtaining a Bachelor’s in Advertising and Communications, Lindsay embarked on her journey within the health care industry. She spent some time as the Community Outreach Coordinator for the Allegheny Health & Rehabilitation Center, coordinating internal and external community events and leading the company’s marketing efforts.
Lindsay knew she wanted to continue her career in health care and always had her eye on UPMC. In 2006, Lindsay’s UPMC career began as she became a part of the corporate Marketing and Communications team as a Communications Specialist. Within this position, Lindsay supported many projects for different UPMC service lines, including clinical marketing, international marketing, internal communications, and special projects. She even helped market UPMC’s transplant services at the Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and Highly Specialized Therapies (ISMETT) in Palermo, Italy.
From there, Lindsay joined the Digital Marketing team, where she spent several years. Starting as a Digital Marketing Specialist and advancing to Senior Manager, Lindsay led a team responsible for managing the UPMC website and other digital marketing tools, including email marketing, search engine optimization, and digital advertising.
“Truly great coworkers and mentors,” explains Lindsay, is one of the main reasons she continues her career at UPMC. “I am fortunate to have built relationships with people who’ve mentored me and recognized areas where I could offer value or stretch myself to learn something new, and I will forever be grateful for that.”
Lindsay transitioned to UPMC Enterprises just as the Technology Development Center (TDC) was evolving into what we now know as Enterprises. Lindsay was essential to building the Enterprises’ brand messaging and determining how to communicate about initial portfolio investments.
“Joining Enterprises was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up. The idea of coming in on the ground floor and being an integral part of the organization’s growth was very exciting to me,” said Lindsay.
While the Enterprises brand evolved, so did Lindsay, who now serves as the Director of Marketing and Communications at Enterprises. She currently leads a team that promotes UPMC Enterprises, sharing stories about our approach and successes as a major health care investor.
In addition, she and her team work closely with Enterprises’ portfolio companies, providing marketing and communications support at all stages, from developing branding and launching strategies for early-stage startups, to offering oversight and guidance on effective marketing tactics and messaging strategies for more established health care IT companies.
“I love working with health care startup companies – it’s inspiring,” said Lindsay. “They come to us with a blank slate, and we can impact how their business grows and how people perceive their business. The CEOs lean on us to be the experts in the marketing and communications field while they’re focusing on the research and technologies that will impact patients’ lives.”
Outside work, Lindsay spends time with her husband, Brandon, two daughters, Sophia and Holly, and their very fluffy bernedoodle, Willow. She enjoys reading, traveling, and relaxing by the pool, though she admits that most of her “free” time nowadays is spent watching her kids in youth soccer, cheerleading, basketball, and volleyball.
“Push yourself to step outside of your comfort zone” is Lindsay’s advice to prospective UPMC employees. “Look for opportunities to learn something new, and I promise you will find ways to remain passionate about your work. You don’t have to sit at one desk for 17 years, but you can still stand behind a company’s mission for that long.”
