Her Story
About Raquel
Raquel Banbury is a seasoned advertising and healthcare communications professional with more than 23 years of agency experience, including 18 years specializing in healthcare communications. Since beginning her advertising career in 2002, she has developed extensive expertise across direct-to-patient and direct-to-physician communications, working with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies across therapeutic areas including rare disease, hematology, immuno-oncology, cardiovascular and renal therapy, respiratory disease, infectious disease, oncology, vaccines, women’s health, and diabetes. Her experience spans HCP and consumer communications, patient education and support, market access, digital and print communications, speaker programs, convention materials, brand planning, messaging, market research, omnichannel planning, medical/legal review, and launch execution.
Throughout her career, Raquel has served as a senior client-services and account-management leader, overseeing teams, strategic development, tactical execution, financial management, mentorship, operations, and new business development. She has managed businesses valued at up to $10 million and has worked with leading organizations including Novartis, Bristol Myers Squibb, AstraZeneca, Merck, Pfizer, Eli Lilly, Boehringer Ingelheim, GSK, Janssen, Hasbro, and Nissan North America. Her portfolio includes healthcare brands and programs spanning cardiovascular, oncology, rare disease, vaccines, and other therapeutic areas, while her earlier traditional consumer advertising experience included brands such as Nissan, Play-Doh, and Tonka. Her transition from full-time agency work to contract leadership reflects her entrepreneurial mindset, adaptability, organizational strengths, and ability to identify and fill critical business needs.
Beyond her professional career, Raquel is an entrepreneur and community-minded leader. She is the founder of A Dancer’s Den and has contributed her time to cultural arts committees, township cultural arts initiatives, her daughter’s PTA, a private-school HSA, and local Chamber of Commerce activities. She has also been recognized as a 2022 Success Magazine 125th Awards nominee and a 2023 Who’s Who in America Honored Listee. Raquel attributes her success to purpose, adaptability, organization, and an entrepreneurial spirit, while emphasizing honesty, transparency, dedication, consistency, and faith as important guiding values. She believes strongly in remaining grounded in purpose while continuing to learn, adapt, and embrace new technology without losing the human connection at the heart of healthcare communications.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Raquel
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my entrepreneurial spirit, strong organizational skills, adaptability, and willingness to step into areas where I can fill critical gaps and help move a business forward. Transitioning from full-time employment to contract work has been one of my most notable professional achievements because it required me to remain flexible, independent, and focused on delivering meaningful results in changing environments.
I also believe that my success comes from maintaining a strong focus on the people we ultimately serve, particularly patients within healthcare communications. Staying organized, adapting to change, and consistently looking for ways to contribute have allowed me to support both my clients and teams effectively.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I have received is to live a purpose-intentional life. Keeping my purpose at the center of what I do has helped me create greater balance in my career and has allowed me to be more intentional about the impact I make each day.
For me, having a clear sense of purpose provides perspective when navigating professional challenges and changes. It has encouraged me to focus not only on what I accomplish, but also on why I am doing it and how my work can make a meaningful difference.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering the advertising and healthcare communications industry is to learn and master the fundamentals while remaining open to change. Our industry continues to evolve rapidly, particularly with advances in technology and the integration of artificial intelligence, so the ability to pivot and adapt is increasingly important.
Build a strong foundation, stay curious, continue learning, and do not be afraid to adjust your approach as the industry changes. The fundamentals will always matter, but success also requires the willingness to embrace new technologies, perspectives, and ways of working.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges and opportunities in healthcare advertising and communications is finding the right balance between technology-driven innovation and maintaining a human approach. As technology and new tools continue to transform the industry, we have an opportunity to become more efficient and innovative while still ensuring that our communications remain meaningful and human.
I also believe there is tremendous value in learning from both experienced mentors and the new, technology-driven environments emerging around us. Combining the knowledge and perspective gained through experience with the opportunities presented by new technology can help us create stronger, more relevant work while keeping the people and patients we serve at the center of our approach.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that are most important to me are honesty, transparency, dedication, consistency, and purpose. I strive to bring these principles into both my professional and personal life and believe they are essential to building trust and maintaining meaningful relationships.
My involvement in cultural arts committees, the PTA, the local chamber of commerce, and other community organizations has also helped make me a more well-rounded person. These experiences expose me to different perspectives that I can bring back into my professional work. As an entrepreneur, I have also learned the importance of taking care of myself and filling my own cup so that I can perform at my best. My faith provides me with additional strength and guidance as I navigate both my professional responsibilities and personal life.
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