Walgreens Boots Alliance Appoints Rosalind Brewer as Chief Executive Officer, & Stefano Pessina as Executive Chairman of the ...
January 26 2021 - 6:58PM
Business Wire
Brewer Is a 35-Year Consumer and Retail
Industry Veteran with Deep Experience in Transformational,
Operational and Digital Strategies
Pessina Hands over Reigns after Successful
Transformation of Company
Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA) today announced the
appointment of Rosalind (Roz) Brewer as the company’s Chief
Executive Officer, effective on March 15, 2021. Brewer will also
join the WBA Board of Directors upon assuming the role. She
succeeds Stefano Pessina who, as previously announced, will
transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board of
WBA.
Pessina has served as the CEO of the combined company for six
years following the merger between Walgreens and Alliance Boots in
December 2014. During his tenure, he transformed and modernized the
company into a global pharmacy, health and wellness leader,
significantly expanding WBA’s retail footprint and investing in
digitalization. Pessina will replace James (Jim) Skinner as
Executive Chairman of WBA in March 2021. Skinner will remain on the
WBA Board as a non-executive director to facilitate a smooth
leadership transition.
Brewer brings to WBA a proven track record of leadership and
operational expertise at multi-national corporations, with deep
experience in strategic development, marketing, digital
transformation and loyalty, innovation and technology, supply chain
and store development. She most recently served as Chief Operating
Officer, Group President and member of the Board of Directors of
Starbucks Corporation, where she has been instrumental in helping
the company accelerate its growth strategy, expand its global reach
and drive value for all of Starbucks’ diverse stakeholders.
Prior to joining Starbucks, Brewer served as President and CEO
of Sam’s Club, the members-only warehouse channel of Walmart Inc.
While there, she successfully grew membership, transformed
merchandise and amplified the use of digital technology to enable a
seamless shopping experience at scale, which led to sequentially
improved comp sales.
“The Board conducted an extensive search to identify an
exceptional leader who will build on WBA’s track-record of success
and take advantage of the many growth opportunities in many markets
across the company. We are excited to have found that person in
Roz,” said Pessina. “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. I look
forward to working with Roz, and to continuing to partner with Jim
and the entire Board and management team to take our company
forward.”
“WBA is a world-class and trusted organization whose purpose I
deeply admire,” said Brewer. “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. 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.”
“Our global position as an accessible healthcare provider in the
communities we serve has never been so critical, and I am very
confident in the company’s prospects for growth under Roz’s
leadership,” said Skinner. “It has been an enormous privilege for
me to chair the Board through such an extraordinary time for our
company, and to work alongside Stefano, with his keen eye for
anticipating shifts in the rapidly evolving healthcare market and
staying one step ahead of consumers’ needs. He was a driving force
behind the merger of Walgreens and Alliance Boots, creating the
first global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise and has
positioned WBA extremely well for continued growth and expansion.
He is transitioning leadership into very capable hands. I am
excited to have the opportunity to continue to serve as a Board
member going forward to what I believe will be a period of
continued growth and prosperity for our company.”
Additional Information About Roz Brewer
Before her time at Starbucks, Brewer worked at Sam’s Club from
2012 to 2017. She made history by becoming the first woman and
first African American to lead a Walmart division. She is currently
ranked #27 on Fortune’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business.
She joined Walmart in 2006 as regional vice president and later
became president of Walmart East, where her P&L responsibility
exceeded $100 billion. Prior to Walmart, she was with
Kimberly-Clark Corp. for 22 years, starting as a scientist and
ultimately serving as president of the Global Nonwovens Sector in
2004.
Roz earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Spelman College
and attended Wharton’s Advanced Management Program and Stanford
University’s Directors’ College.
She is a former director of Amazon, Lockheed Martin and Molson
Coors Brewing Company. She also chairs the board of trustees at
Spelman College.
Notes to Editors:
About Walgreens Boots Alliance
Walgreens Boots Alliance (Nasdaq: WBA) is a global leader in
retail and wholesale pharmacy, touching millions of lives every day
through dispensing and distributing medicines, and through its
convenient retail locations, digital platforms and health and
beauty products. The company has more than 100 years of trusted
health care heritage and innovation in community pharmacy and
pharmaceutical wholesaling.
Including equity method investments, WBA has a presence in more
than 25 countries, employs more than 450,000 people and has more
than 21,000 stores.
WBA’s purpose is to help people across the world lead healthier
and happier lives. The company is proud of its contributions to
healthy communities, a healthy planet, an inclusive workplace and a
sustainable marketplace. WBA is a participant of the United Nations
Global Compact and adheres to its principles-based approach to
responsible business.
WBA is included in FORTUNE’s 2020 list of the World’s Most
Admired Companies*, ranked first in the food and drugstore
category. This is the 27th consecutive year that WBA or its
predecessor company, Walgreen Co., has been named to the list.
More company information is available at www.walgreensbootsalliance.com.
*© 2020, Fortune Media IP Limited. Used under license.
(WBA-GEN)
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