Walgreens Boots Alliance Appoints Rosalind Brewer as CEO

Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) today announced that Rosalind Brewer will be its next CEO effective March 15, succeeding Stefano Pessina, who will become executive chairman of the company's board. Brewer's appointment comes at a time when women and minorities continue to be vastly underrepresented at the executive level, though corporations are increasingly making diversity, equity and inclusion a priority. She will be the only Black woman who will be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. “The healthcare industry is constantly evolving and I am excited to work alongside the entire WBA team as we deliver further innovation and positively impact the lives of millions of people around the world every day," said Brewer in a statement. "This is especially true today as the company plays a crucial role in combatting the Covid-19 pandemic. I step into this role with great optimism for the future of WBA, a shared responsibility to serve our customers, patients and communities, and a commitment to drive long-term sustainable value for shareholders,” she added. Brewer has been steadily climbing the ranks of leaders within the consumer and retail world, most recently serving as COO and president of coffee chain giant Starbucks. Prior to that, she served as CEO of members-only warehouse chain Sam's Club, a division of Walmart, where she was credited with growing membership, transforming merchandise and expanding the use of digital technology to create a more seamless shopping experience resulting in comparable sales growth. Brewer joined Walmart in 2006 as a regional vice president, later becoming president of Walmart East. She also worked at paper products behemoth Kimberly-Clark for 22 years, starting as a scientist, eventually culminating in the role of president of the global nonwovens sector in 2004. In addition, she has served on the boards of Amazon, Lockheed Martin and Molson Coors Brewing Company. Indeed, Walgreens cited Brewer's track record and operational expertise at multi-national corporations, with experience in strategic development, marketing, digital transformation, supply chain and store development. “She is a distinguished and experienced executive who has led organizations globally through periods of changing consumer behavior by applying innovation that elevates customer experiences – ultimately driving significant and sustainable growth and value creation. Her relentless focus on the customer, talent development, operational rigor and strong expertise in digital and technological transformation are exactly what WBA needs as the company enters its next chapter,” Pessina said. Brewer will inherit a role that Pessina has held since the merger between U.S.-based Walgreens and Switzerland-based Alliance Boots in 2014, creating a company that generated nearly $140 billion in sales during fiscal 2020. During that time, Walgreens said that Pessina expanded the company's footprint and invested in digitalization, most recently culminating in a overhaul of the retailer's app. The changing of the guard at Walgreens is not limited to the role of CEO, as its CMO Vineet Mehra will depart the company on Feb. 2 to pursue an opportunity at a startup based in Silicon Valley.