Strategic at the Core: Abarca & the Evolution of Marketing as a Leadership Function

By Antonio Duarte

Some client relationships change your company. Others clarify it. Working with Abarca Health did both.

At a time when many viewed marketing as surface-level or secondary, Jason Borschow brought us in to operate at the core of Abarca’s leadership team. Not to manage a function—but to help lead a transformation. That trust became the foundation for a partnership built on shared purpose, deep alignment, and the belief that strategy belongs at the leadership table.

From Marketing Support to Leadership Function

Abarca challenged the status quo of pharmacy benefit management, and we were invited to help shape that transformation. Our role went far beyond traditional marketing support:

• Defining the go-to-market strategy that powered Abarca’s U.S. expansion

• Developing the Darwin brand and redefining how technology is positioned in healthcare

• Strengthening corporate culture around purpose and values

• Supporting major milestones, including the launch of Oasis Santurce campus

This wasn’t about campaigns. It was about proving that marketing can sit at the executive table as a growth driver.

A CEO Who Made Strategy Matter

Jason exemplifies the kind of CEO DuartePino was built for: curious, courageous, and willing to let strategy challenge convention. Under his leadership, marketing wasn’t an afterthought—it became a growth engine.

The most forward-thinking CEOs recognize marketing as a leadership priority, not a siloed department. Abarca proved that vision in practice.

In every milestone—from internal planning sessions to national stage launches—we weren’t just advisors. We were Abarcans.

Lasting Impact of a Strategic Partnership

This is what trust over time makes possible. Strategy not as a deck, but as direction. Marketing not as a department, but as a catalyst for culture, product, and leadership.

Together, we helped Abarca show the healthcare world what better can look like—and built something lasting in the process.

Built over time. Backed by trust.

#ADecadeOfDoingItDifferently

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About the Author:

Antonio Duarte, Chief Marketing Advisor for DuartePino and partner of Téntico and Haipriori, wrote this blog. 

ABOUT DUARTEPINO

DuartePino is a management outsourcing firm that combines deep customer knowledge with practical expertise in marketing, communications, and brand management to drive sustainable growth for clients. Our network of Trusted Advisors brings years of experience, offering fresh perspectives, proven processes, and the martech tools needed for effective execution.

In addition to our core services, we have expanded through our ventures, Téntico—a strategy-first brand studio focused on authentic branding for legacy brands and scale-ups—and Haipriori, specializing in custom software solutions and digital innovation. We manage over 15 marketing communications departments, representing over $1B in annual sales, with 70% of clients exporting to international markets.