In March 2021, former Starbucks COO Rosalind “Roz” Brewer officially began her tenure as the new CEO of retail pharmacy giant Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA). With her appointment, Brewer made history as only the third-ever Black woman to serve as CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
Brewer succeeded Stefano Pessina, who had been Walgreens’ CEO since 2015. Her selection was a major milestone for both female and Black business leaders. At the time, there were just three other Black Fortune 500 CEOs actively serving – making the executive ranks remain overwhelmingly White and male-dominated.
Brewer Brought Decades Of Consumer Retail Experience
A Detroit native, Brewer attended Spelman College where she earned a degree in chemistry. She went on to complete executive programs at Wharton, Booth, and Stanford Business School.
Brewer spent over 20 years working for Kimberly-Clark, starting as a research technician and eventually overseeing the company’s massive global operations. She then joined Walmart in 2006 as a regional vice president.
At Walmart, Brewer ascended to roles including EVP of the East business unit overseeing $100 billion in revenue. In 2012, she was named CEO of Walmart’s Sam’s Club division – becoming the first woman and African American to ever lead the warehouse chain.
Helped Starbucks And Sam’s Club Expand Retail Footprints
In 2017, Brewer transitioned to Starbucks where she led operations, marketing, and digital initiatives as group president and COO. Under her leadership, Starbucks entered a global retail alliance with Nestlé and accelerated its expansion in China through delivery services.
Brewer has been outspoken about the need for diversity in corporate leadership over the years. Some conservatives heavily criticized comments she made regarding urging suppliers to improve diversity – though her stance was firmly defended by Walmart’s CEO.
Charged With Overseeing Walgreens’ Vaccine Rollout
As she stepped into the top job at Walgreens, Brewer was tasked with overseeing the expansion of the pharmacy chain’s vaccine rollout amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Walgreens had already administered over 20 million vaccine doses by the time she came aboard.
“Her relentless focus on the customer, talent development, operational rigor and strong expertise in digital and technological transformation are exactly what [Walgreens] needs,” the then outgoing CEO Pessina commented regarding Brewer’s appointment.
While Walgreens remained profitable under Brewer, its shares slid 32% in 2022 due to decreased demand for vaccines and testing. In September 2022, the company announced Brewer was stepping down and that they would seek a new CEO with more healthcare experience.
Duckett Remains As Sole Black Woman Leading A Fortune 500 Firm
With Brewer’s exit, TIAA CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett remains the only African-American woman currently serving as the CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
In three years at Walgreens, Brewer led the pharmacy chain through monumental pandemic challenges. However, her tenure was cut short as the company pivoted its priorities towards expanding healthcare services to compete with rival CVS Health.
Nonetheless, Brewer’s groundbreaking appointment reflected her over 30 years of success leading consumer retail juggernauts. And it demonstrated that barriers are being broken for more diverse CEO representation.
