Kermit Crawford to retire from Walgreens
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens today announced that Kermit Crawford, president of Pharmacy, Health and Wellness, will retire after 31 years in a variety of advancing roles with the company to take on new opportunities, including continuing to serve as a senior counselor to Walgreens president and CEO Greg Wasson.
Crawford announced that he plans to join the University of Southern California’s School of Pharmacy, where will serve as executive in residence and senior adviser to the Dean. Crawford currently is a member of the USC School of Pharmacy’s board of councilors. He also will serve as national chairman for the American Diabetes Association’s new Ad Council campaign across the country. The association recently named him volunteer of the year in his longtime role as a member of the organization’s board for the Northern Illinois and Indiana region. His retirement from Walgreens will be effective Dec. 31, 2014, after which he will assume the role of senior counselor.
“After 31 years with Walgreens, starting as a pharmacy intern in my 20s, the time is right to retire from the company to broaden my horizons and seek new ways to serve,” Crawford said. “I love Walgreens, and cherish my years and friends here and the incredibly dedicated people across the company. To me, community pharmacy has long been an unsung hero in our healthcare system, helping primary caregivers to provide convenient, affordable and essential health-and-wellness services in neighborhoods across America. I look forward to continuing to help Greg Wasson and the team to advance the role of community pharmacy in health care as I also pursue other opportunities to provide leadership in new areas.”
“Words cannot capture the magnitude of Kermit Crawford’s impact on Walgreens and our people, on America’s retail pharmacy industry and on the health and wellbeing of millions of customers and patients we have been privileged to serve over the years,” Wasson said. “Kermit has well-positioned Walgreens for the future, and I appreciate his willingness to serve as my senior counselor and continue his remarkable influence on our company and future — and I look forward to working together in our new capacity.”
Crawford began his career with Walgreens as a pharmacy intern in 1983. He advanced through company ranks, holding positions from pharmacist to store and district manager to VP store operations. In 2004, he was named Walgreens Health Services VP PBM services and in 2005 was promoted to EVP PBM services and a corporate VP for Walgreens, heading up all aspects of strategic, operational and profit-and-loss management of the company’s PBM.
Crawford was promoted to Walgreens SVP and then EVP pharmacy services in 2007 and 2010, respectively. In this role, he pioneered the effort to transform community pharmacy from a transaction-based practice to one focused on access to affordable, quality care, Walgreens said. In September 2010, he was promoted to president of the division. In 2011, his role was broadened to include leadership of all pharmacy, health and wellness services.