DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA) today announced three key executive leadership positions, as Danielle Gray was appointed Executive Vice President and Global Chief Legal Officer for WBA, Tracey Brown was named President of Retail Products and Chief Customer Officer for Walgreens, 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.”
Danielle Gray
Gray joins WBA as Executive Vice President and Global Chief Legal Officer, and 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 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.
Gray graduated from Duke University with her A.B. in economics and public policy and earned her J.D. from Harvard Law School. As a member of WBA’s executive leadership team, Gray will report to Roz Brewer. Her first day is planned for mid-September.
“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.”
Tracey Brown
As President of Retail Products and Chief Customer Officer, a newly created position, Brown will be responsible for the Walgreens customer experience across all consumer touchpoints and will help to create and execute key 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.
Most recently, Brown has served as Chief Executive Officer for the American Diabetes Association (ADA) since 2018, where she led a healthcare transformation and financial turnaround of ADA’s business. She led the creation of innovative solutions and new ways of working with diabetes ecosystem partners, including hospitals/medical systems, insurance companies, PBMs, retailers and government officials, while also breaking down health inequities in communities across the U.S.
Prior to the ADA, Brown was SVP, 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. She also served as Chief Member and Marketing Officer, overseeing membership operations, data and analytics, omni-channel integration, personalization, and other initiatives, which were instrumental in driving more than $2 billion in sales growth during her tenure.
Brown graduated from the University of Delaware with her B.S. in chemical engineering and received her MBA from Columbia Business School. She will report to John Standley, Executive Vice President, WBA and President of Walgreens, with her first day planned for the beginning of November.
“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.”
Jeff Gruener
Gruener, SVP 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.
Most recently, Gruener was with Walmart, where he served in a number of roles of increasing responsibility over his 12 years with the company, 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 Corporation, serving in a variety of business development, strategy and marketing roles. He also previously held business roles at Ernst & Young and Honeywell, Inc.
Gruener received his B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Wisconsin and earned his MBA from the University of Michigan. He will report to James Kehoe, EVP and Global Chief Financial Officer, WBA, and will start Aug. 30.
“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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About Walgreens Boots Alliance
Walgreens Boots Alliance (Nasdaq: WBA) is a global leader in retail pharmacy, impacting millions of lives every day through dispensing medicines, and providing accessible, high-quality care. With more than 170 years of trusted healthcare heritage and innovation in community pharmacy, the company is meeting customers' and patients' needs through its convenient retail locations, digital platforms and health and beauty products.
Including equity method investments, WBA has a presence in more than 25 countries, employs more than 450,000 people and has more than 21,000 stores.
WBA’s purpose is to help people across the world lead healthier and happier lives. The company is proud of its contributions to healthy communities, a healthy planet, an inclusive workplace and a sustainable marketplace. WBA is a Participant of the United Nations Global Compact and adheres to its principles-based approach to responsible business. WBA is included in FORTUNE's 2021 list of the World's Most Admired Companies.* This is the 28th consecutive year that WBA or its predecessor company, Walgreen Co., has been named to the list.
More company information is available at www.walgreensbootsalliance.com.
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