Member Spotlight: Thy-Ann Nguyen
Could you tell me about your background and what drew you to your current position?
I started my career as an administrative assistant at a health care PR firm and have spent the past 14+ years working in healthcare strategic communications—nine of which have been at CURA Strategies, where I’ve operated at the intersection of communications and operations. I’ve always been drawn to mission-driven work and to the health care space in particular, because of how directly it impacts people’s lives. Over the years, I’ve grown alongside CURA—from leading client campaigns to shaping internal processes and culture. Today, as Chief of Staff, I focus on scaling our impact by aligning our people, systems and strategy so we can do our best work. I love helping people connect the dots and creating an environment where everyone feels empowered to work to their strengths.
Describe what excites you most about your job.
I love building relationships—both with our clients and our team. There’s something really special about seeing people light up when they’re doing work that aligns with their strengths. I get energy from creating a positive, high-performing environment where kindness and empathy are just as valued as results. I also enjoy the behind-the-scenes challenge of making sure everything runs smoothly so that our team can focus on making an impact.
What is the most rewarding project you've done recently?
Helping to plan and lead our annual two-day company off-site retreat this year was incredibly rewarding. This year’s theme was Connected in Purpose, and it was such a great team-building experience. We covered a lot of topics including Kolbe and CliftonStrengths (both very useful assessments for team building/management if you haven’t heard of these before!) along with AI and project management—all in a way that felt energizing and joyful. These retreats are always the highlights of my years at CURA and reminds me that investing in our people and culture isn’t just good for morale—it directly fuels our ability to deliver excellent service for our clients.
As a member of WWPR, what have you gained from your experience?
Every time I attend a WWPR event, I leave feeling inspired. The women in this community are doing amazing things, and yet there’s a real warmth and openness that makes it easy to connect. I love that the programming includes everything from social events to professional development—it reflects the whole person. It’s rare to find a group that feels both ambitious and genuinely supportive, and it’s been such a joy to be part of it!
What PR/Comms trends, tech, or practices are you and your company adopting this year, and what have been the results?
Like many in our field, we’re actively exploring how AI can enhance—not replace—our work. As a team, we lean into using AI effectively and ethically and encourage the team to use it and share best practices with each other. We host regular trainings to help us stay on top of the latest tools and aim to focus even more this year on experimenting with specific AI tools that can streamline processes, spark creativity and make data analysis more actionable. The key for us has been balancing innovation with intention—we always ask, “Does this improve the quality of our work or our client’s experience?” When the answer is yes, we lean in.
Is there any book or podcast you recommend?
I recently listened to Atomic Habits by James Clear, and I loved how it breaks down goal- setting and behavior change into simple, actionable steps. It’s a great reminder that small habits can lead to big transformation. It’s helped me take a more intentional approach to both personal and professional growth.
