DSN Women Leaders 2014: Dedra Castle, Rite Aid
Because retail pharmacy represents the frontlines of health care today, the drug store operator who best connects to their customer/patient base gains a significant competitive advantage. That means willing with people.
“Our business imperative is an intentional connection to our customers and patients for all that supports healthier lives,” Dedra Castle told DSN. “As such, the trust that must be earned and the market and wallet share that can be gained are tied to our success as an organization in offering the best employment experience for the 90,000 dedicated human beings who wear the [Rite Aid] name badge. The complexities of the regulatory environment of our industry, the evolving consumerism (ACA) of health care, and the need to attract, reward, engage and retain a high performance multi-generational work force make me wish that there were more hours in the day. Wonderfully enriching challenges,” she said.
Castle currently is working on “The Associate Experience” for Rite Aid, which connects Rite Aid associates to the uniqueness of Rite Aid employment through recognition and career opportunities. Castle has “a head for business, and a heart for the people” and brings to bear a rich, more than 19-year human resources career comprised of mass and specialty Fortune 500 retailers (including Sam’s Club, Winn Dixie and Auto Zone Stores), and the retail exchange program for the U.S. military.
Castle is responsible for enriching the Rite Aid employee experience, and subsequently the customer experience. She wears a lot of hats at Rite Aid, including talent development, recruitment, associate opportunity, inclusion and diversity, associate engagement, labor relations, employment practices and compliance, executive leadership development and field and supply chain HR operations.
Castle leans on a quote from the late great author, poet and educator, Maya Angelou, as a source of grounding for her as a person and a professional: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
To view the full DSN Women Leaders 2014 report, click here.