WSL Future of Health Event

WBA appoints three to leadership team

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DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. has named Tracey Brown to the newly created post of president of retail products and chief customer officer at Walgreens. The appointment, one of three announced Friday at WBA, is meant to emphasize Walgreens’ customer experience across all consumer touchpoints, the company said.

WBA also named Danielle Gray executive vice president and global chief legal officer, and Jeff Gruener will join Walgreens as senior vice president and chief financial officer.

“I am pleased to welcome Danielle, Tracey and Jeff to the WBA family,” said Roz Brewer, CEO, Walgreens Boots Alliance. “They will be instrumental in continuing to build momentum across our business, as we further innovate, and work to define the future of health and well-being in the communities we serve for many years to come. I’m confident we will have the right leadership teams in place, bringing new energy and a wealth of experience to achieve our business and growth objectives.”

Brown previously served as Chief Executive Officer for the American Diabetes Association (ADA) where she led a healthcare transformation and financial turnaround for the association. Before that Brown was senior vice president of operations and chief experience officer for Walmart/Sam’s Club, where she helped drive a double-digit increase in company performance by growing customers through experience, transforming merchandise and leading digital platforms and strategy.

In her new role, Brown will be responsible for helping create and execute strategies that move the business forward in a complex and dynamic competitive landscape. She will lead the visioning, leadership, strategic direction and performance of the customer experience, developing a unique and modern customer value proposition. In addition, Brown will oversee Walgreens marketing and merchandising functions, responsible for further accelerating the company’s digital transformation, to create seamless integration across all channels – in-store, mobile and online – to provide a unified, consistent brand experience.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to work for a brand with such a strong heritage and history, deeply rooted in communities, and I’m excited to work with the team to find new and different ways to differentiate the customer experience,” Brown said. “I’m especially inspired to make a positive impact on the daily lives of the millions of customers that Walgreens serves each day – as well as improving the health and well-being of all people across the country. I look forward to furthering the great momentum that Roz, John and others across the company have built.”

In her new role as WBA’s executive vice president and global chief legal officer, Gray will be responsible for supporting the company’s business strategy, goals and mitigating any legal barriers to achieving business objectives. She will set the organization’s legal and compliance agenda, while proactively identifying ways to address critical issues and emerging risks in order to advance WBA’s business goals related to its healthcare, digital and personalization strategies.

Gray brings extensive public and private sector experience in legal, policy and regulatory matters to her role at WBA. She joins the company from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, where she has served as senior vice president, chief legal and administrative officer and corporate secretary since 2018, overseeing operations related to legal, audit, government affairs, health policy, corporate compliance, external communications, marketing and community engagement.

Previously, she was a Partner with O’Melveny & Myers, LLP, representing health care companies, financial services institutions, universities and clients across diverse industries. She also held a number of public service roles in the White House and Department of Justice from 2009 to 2014, including Assistant to the President and Cabinet Secretary; Deputy Director of the National Economic Council; and senior lawyer in the White House Counsel’s Office and Civil Division.

“I am excited to join Walgreens Boots Alliance, and I’ve been truly energized by Roz Brewer’s vision for the global enterprise,” Gray said. “This is a pivotal time for the company and I’ve seen first-hand throughout the COVID-19 pandemic the critical role that WBA’s trusted brands are playing to meet the needs of communities, our healthcare systems and many partners across the eco-system. I look forward to helping accelerate and advance the company’s strategic priorities and to working with a world-class leadership team.”

Gruener, in his role as senior vice president and chief financial officer, will be responsible for leading the finance organization for Walgreens, which represents the U.S. segment of WBA. He will help to create and execute key strategies to advance business priorities, along with the visioning, leadership and strategic direction related to financial matters for Walgreens.

Gruener most recently spent 12 years with Walmart, where he served in a number of roles of increasing responsibility, including SVP of finance and strategy, SVP of merchandising operations, VP of finance for Sam’s Club and VP of global procurement. He was also directly involved with Walmart’s healthcare offerings for a time period during his tenure, with financial oversight of health and wellness, including pharmacy.

Prior to Walmart, he worked at Sears Holdings Corp., serving in a variety of business development, strategy and marketing roles. He also previously held business roles at Ernst & Young and Honeywell Inc.

“I have a deep appreciation for today’s dynamic retail environment and the Walgreens brand, and look forward to joining an organization and leadership team that is dedicated and focused on transforming the healthcare landscape,” Gruener said. “I’m also excited about the opportunity to develop and advance strategic initiatives that can drive sustained growth for the company, while creating even greater value for shareholders and Walgreens customers.”

 

 


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