Walgreens said on Tuesday that it chose Starbucks executive Roz Brewer as its new CEO, which will make it the only black woman leading a Fortune 500 company.
Starbucks announced on Tuesday that Brewer was leaving after just over three years as its chief operating officer. Walgreens later confirmed that Brewer will take over as its CEO on March 15.
Brewer succeeds Stefano Pessina, who served as CEO for six years after the merger between Walgreens and Alliance Boots in 2014. Pessina will transition to executive chairman of the board of Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc ..
Pessina praised Brewer’s experience in operations, customer relations, talent development and digital innovation.
“She is a distinguished and experienced executive who has led organizations around the world through periods of changing consumer behavior, applying innovation that elevates the customer experience,” said Pessina.
At Starbucks, Brewer renovated stores, eliminating clutter and reducing administrative work so employees could focus on customers and streamline service. It helped expand the Starbucks rewards program and pushed for more diversity in its ranks.
Prior to joining Starbucks, Brewer served as president and CEO of Sam’s Club, the member-only storage channel for Walmart Inc. She also increased membership and improved the goods there.
Prior to that, Brewer worked at Kimberly-Clark Corp. for 22 years. Brewer __ who holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Spelman College __ started at Kimberly-Clark as a scientist and ultimately served as president of the Global Nonwoven Sector.
Brewer said he is excited to innovate in the healthcare industry at Walgreens, especially as the company helps fight the coronavirus pandemic.
“I take on this role with great optimism for the future of the WBA,” Brewer said in a statement.
Headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, Walgreens claims that it employs more than 450,000 people and has more than 21,000 stores worldwide.
Ursula Burns was the first black woman to run a Fortune 500 company when she became CEO of Xerox in 2009. But she lost that role in 2016 when Xerox split into two companies.
There are only a handful of other black CEOs in the Fortune 500, including Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison.