Cristal N. Downing is a strategic business executive with decades of experience across the healthcare, industrial, finance and technology industries. Downing has skillfully leveraged her expertise in developing, communicating and driving corporate strategy to mitigate risk and enhance shareholder value through significant business transitions, challenging market cycles and times of crisis. She has also successfully applied her unique blend of skills and expertise across various and complex B2B and B2C environments, enabling strong business performance.

Downing currently serves as the first-ever chief corporate affairs officer at Insulet (NYSE: PODD), an innovative medical device company dedicated to simplifying life for people with diabetes through the use of its Omnipod product platform. She reports to CEO Ashley McEvoy, serves on the Executive Leadership Team and leads the corporate affairs function spanning global communications, government affairs, public policy, corporate reputation and stakeholder engagement.

Since joining the company in December 2025, Downing has been a trusted executive advisor to Insulet’s CEO and board of directors, a strategic business leader and collaborator with her executive team peers, and a passionate driver of enhanced performance across the company’s businesses and functions. She has thoughtfully and effectively strategized, counseled and navigated significant company and industry events, eliminating and managing risk, while maintaining stakeholder confidence and safeguarding the company’s reputation and credibility. She has established and leads a corporate affairs function focused on elevating strategic communication and connection with all Insulet stakeholders, amplifying the corporate narrative in a clear, credible and powerful way, and driving tangible and lasting impact. 

Prior to Insulet, Downing was the executive vice president and chief communications and public affairs officer of Merck & Co. Inc., one of the world’s largest biopharmaceutical companies. Downing reported directly to Merck Chairman and CEO Robert M. Davis and led Merck’s Corporate Affairs organization, which included global communications, public affairs, global government policy and affairs, environmental, social and governance (ESG), health equity and philanthropic efforts. Downing’s remit and leadership of approximately 400 global professionals encompassed shaping the most favorable operating environment for the company amid one of the most challenging geopolitical, societal and economic eras in history.

Before joining Merck, Downing spent eight years in roles of increasing responsibility at Johnson & Johnson. In her most expansive role, she served as vice president, communications and public affairs, medical devices. During her Johnson & Johnson tenure, Downing and colleagues confronted the Ebola and HIV epidemics, the opioid crisis, talcum powder issues and COVID-19. She also co-led the development and implementation of “Our Race to Health Equity” — Johnson & Johnson’s innovative and distinguished racial and social justice strategy and program. Before Johnson & Johnson, she held strategic business and communications roles at ITT and several Fortune 100 financial services companies including JPMorgan Chase/Washington Mutual, Wells Fargo and American Express.

Downing has also received notable industry honors and recognitions over the past few years, including: PRWeek’s Power List, the Ebony 100 Power List, ColorComm’s Circle Award, PRWeek’s 25 Women of Distinction, PRWeek’s 30 Top healthcare influencers, as well as being recognized by Women Inc. magazine’s 2022 Most Influential Women Executives in Corporate America and Savoy magazine’s 2022 Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America.

Downing is a member of several premier business and communication associations, including Fortune’s Most Powerful Women, the Arthur Page Society, World 50 Communications and Chief’s C-Suite Peer Group. She is also a former member of the board of trustees for the Ronald McDonald House of Central and Northern New Jersey and the Rutgers Cancer Institute board of trustees. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from Monmouth University.