Former Sam’s Club executive Rosalind Brewer has been named the chief executive for Walgreens Boot Alliance, Inc., a retail and wholesale pharmacy corporation that encompasses Walgreens, Duane Reade and other brands. She will also be joining the Walgreens Boot Alliance board of directors.
Brewer has served as the chief operating officer and group president of Starbucks corporation, as well as serving on the company’s board, for the past three years. In this role, Brewer oversaw Starbucks’ growth strategy and the expansion of its global reach.
Before joining Starbucks, Brewer served as the president and CEO of Sam’s Club from 2012 to 2017. She was both the first woman and Black individual to hold a CEO position in a Walmart business unit.
She joined Walmart in 2006, rising steadily through the Bentonville retailer’s ranks, eventually becoming the president of Walmart U.S.’s east business unit. Brewer spent two decades at Kimberly-Clark before joining Walmart. John Furner, now the president and CEO of Walmart U.S., succeeded Brewer as the Sam’s Club CEO.
WBA cited Brewer’s “track record of leadership and operational expertise” in running multinational corporations as the key element for naming her to the top role. She will be replacing Stefano Pessina, who will be transitioning to the role of executive chairman for the WBA board.
“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,” Pessina said in a statement. “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.”
The Detroit native has previously served as a director at Amazon, Lockheed Martin and Molson Coors Brewing Company. She is the chair for the Spelman College board of trustees.
With the announcement of Brewer’s appointment, WBA stock rose sharply on Wednesday, Jan. 27 to more than $54 per share. By 10 a.m., the stock had declined to the $51 per share range. As of 12:38 p.m. CST, the stock was trading at 51.06 percent, an increase of $1.87 per share or 3.80 percent.
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