WALGREENS NAMES BREWER AS FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN TO LEAD CHAIN
Walgreens was named Rosalind Brewer as the first African American woman to lead an S&P 500. The former Starbucks COO will officially replace the current Walgreens CEO, Stefano Pessina, on March 15th. Brewer will join the Walgreens Boots Alliance Board of Directors, with Pessina transitioning to the Executive Chairman of the Board.
“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,” the company stated in a press release.
With her new position reflecting the drive to diversity and minorities to leadership roles, Brewer’s transition placed her at number 27 on Fortune’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business. The Spelman College graduate will bring her years of experience in operations, customer relations, digital innovation, and more! Brewer accomplished many things while working at Starbucks. She was a tremendous asset to the team, growing their loyalty program and ensuring diversity at all levels of the company.
Pessina said of Brewer’s appointment, “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.”
Before joining Starbucks in 2017, Brewer spent five years as the CEO of Sam’s Club, which Walmart owns. She openly discusses the challenges she has faced as a Black Woman in corporate America. “When you’re a Black woman, you get mistaken a lot,” she says. It goes to show while we’ve come far, but there’s still a long way to go.
