Alejandro Silva named to Walgreens board of directors; executive promotions announced

DEERFIELD, Ill. Alejandro Silva, chairman and chief executive officer of Chicago-based Evans Food Group, has been elected to Walgreens board of directors as an independent director, effective Jan. 9, according to reports.

“We welcome to the board Alejandro’s experience in building a successful consumer products company over the past 22 years,” said Jeffrey Rein, Walgreens chairman and chief executive officer. “His ideas and insight will help us stay abreast of changing consumer habits.”

Seven years after entered the food business in Mexico in 1972, Silva founded a business venture, Alimentos Finos del Norte, in Saltillo, Mexico. In 1985, he acquired Evans Food Group with his brother and another partner, turning it into the world’s largest pork rind snack manufacturer and the largest Hispanic-owned business in Chicago.

Silva has been awarded the Double Eagle Award from the United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce; the Latino Globalist Award; Chicago United Business Leaders of Color member; Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame member; and the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Enterprises Development Agency Award.

The company also announced that James Howard is retiring from the board.

Walgreens also announced the following executive promotions:

• Stanley Blaylock, 44, previously Walgreens corporate vice president and senior vice president of specialty pharmacy and home care for Walgreens Health Services, the managed care division of Walgreens, has been promoted to a corporate senior vice president and president of Walgreens Health Services. Blaylock replaces Trent Taylor, who has left his position at Walgreens.
• David Van Howe, 49, has been promoted from vice president of purchasing to a corporate vice president. Van Howe joined Walgreens in 2000 as general merchandise manager of beauty and fashion. He was promoted to a divisional vice president in 2004 and oversaw the purchasing department’s health and wellness division before being named vice president of purchasing last April. He has more than 30 years of retail experience, including operations and purchasing positions with Kmart, Arbor Drugs and CVS/pharmacy.