WBA taps new CFO with pharma, CPG pedigree
Walgreens Boots Alliance on Thursday named James Kehoe, recently CFO and board director of Takeda Pharmaceutical, as the company’s executive vice president and global CFO, effective June 1. He will be based at the company’s headquarters in Deerfield, Ill.
“We are pleased to welcome James Kehoe to lead the Walgreens Boots Alliance global finance operations as the company now moves into our exciting future as a global leader in health and wellbeing,” Jim Skinner, Walgreens Boots Alliance executive chairman, said. “His significant leadership experience in both health care and consumer goods makes him an exceptional fit and addition to Stefano Pessina’s senior executive team and the company."
Kehoe will succeed George Fairweather, who has served as Walgreens Boots Alliance global CFO since February 2015. Fairweather has been instrumental in the formation of Walgreens Boots Alliance, the subsequent integration of the legacy companies, the new enterprise’s major cost-transformation program and the establishment of the combined global financial organization.
Fairweather will become a senior advisor to CEO Stefano Pessina for business development and finance, also effective June 1.
“We are excited to have another world-class chief financial officer join Walgreens Boots Alliance and the senior management team to follow George. James’s extensive experience in finance in the pharma-related health care and consumer goods sectors, as well as helping ensure optimal business performance, will be instrumental as we move to the next phase of our long-term strategy for growth and value creation," Pessina said. "After working and collaborating for over 16 years with George going back to Alliance UniChem, I want to extend my personal heartfelt appreciation for his invaluable leadership, counsel and significant contributions to our enterprise. He was indispensable to the formation of Alliance Boots and the successful creation of Walgreens Boots Alliance. Over the past three years, George has led key integration efforts, the successful cost-transformation program and the establishment of an outstanding global financial team and function."
Kehoe has been CFO of Takeda Pharmaceutical since June 2016 and was based in Tokyo, reporting directly to the company’s president and CEO. He was appointed to the Takeda Pharmaceutical board of directors in June 2017. Kehoe is an accomplished finance executive from the consumer goods sector and a business leader with a track record of driving operational business performance.
Kehoe joined Takeda Pharmaceutical from Kraft Foods Group in the U.S., where he last held the role of executive vice president, CFO. Prior to that, he held a number of finance-related positions over 25 years with assignments based in Ireland, Germany, Italy, U.S., Austria, Switzerland and Canada.
“I believe there is no more important company at the junction of health care and retail than Walgreens Boots Alliance, and I am excited to be joining the team at such a pivotal moment in the company’s continuing transformation," Kehoe said. "Moving forward, I appreciate that George will continue serving in an advisory role to help ensure a smooth transition and further success for the company.”
“We are pleased to welcome James Kehoe to lead the Walgreens Boots Alliance global finance operations as the company now moves into our exciting future as a global leader in health and wellbeing,” Jim Skinner, Walgreens Boots Alliance executive chairman, said. “His significant leadership experience in both health care and consumer goods makes him an exceptional fit and addition to Stefano Pessina’s senior executive team and the company."
Kehoe will succeed George Fairweather, who has served as Walgreens Boots Alliance global CFO since February 2015. Fairweather has been instrumental in the formation of Walgreens Boots Alliance, the subsequent integration of the legacy companies, the new enterprise’s major cost-transformation program and the establishment of the combined global financial organization.Fairweather will become a senior advisor to CEO Stefano Pessina for business development and finance, also effective June 1.
“We are excited to have another world-class chief financial officer join Walgreens Boots Alliance and the senior management team to follow George. James’s extensive experience in finance in the pharma-related health care and consumer goods sectors, as well as helping ensure optimal business performance, will be instrumental as we move to the next phase of our long-term strategy for growth and value creation," Pessina said. "After working and collaborating for over 16 years with George going back to Alliance UniChem, I want to extend my personal heartfelt appreciation for his invaluable leadership, counsel and significant contributions to our enterprise. He was indispensable to the formation of Alliance Boots and the successful creation of Walgreens Boots Alliance. Over the past three years, George has led key integration efforts, the successful cost-transformation program and the establishment of an outstanding global financial team and function."
Kehoe has been CFO of Takeda Pharmaceutical since June 2016 and was based in Tokyo, reporting directly to the company’s president and CEO. He was appointed to the Takeda Pharmaceutical board of directors in June 2017. Kehoe is an accomplished finance executive from the consumer goods sector and a business leader with a track record of driving operational business performance.
Kehoe joined Takeda Pharmaceutical from Kraft Foods Group in the U.S., where he last held the role of executive vice president, CFO. Prior to that, he held a number of finance-related positions over 25 years with assignments based in Ireland, Germany, Italy, U.S., Austria, Switzerland and Canada.
“I believe there is no more important company at the junction of health care and retail than Walgreens Boots Alliance, and I am excited to be joining the team at such a pivotal moment in the company’s continuing transformation," Kehoe said. "Moving forward, I appreciate that George will continue serving in an advisory role to help ensure a smooth transition and further success for the company.”