Walgreens SVP, general counsel to depart

Elena Kraus is leaving Walgreens, where she served for six years as senior vice president and general counsel, to join Whataburger as executive vice president and chief legal officer.

Sandra Levy

3/14/2022

Walgreens’ executive leadership division is undergoing a change.

Elena Kraus, senior vice president and general counsel at the retailer, is departing the company after six years.

Kraus, a seasoned executive with more than 30 years of in-house legal experience at Walgreens Boots Alliance, is leaving the company to become executive vice president and chief legal officer at Whataburger.

During her six-year tenure at Walgreens, Kraus oversaw the strategy and delivery of legal services to the organization during a time of innovation and record expansion. She built and led the high-performing Walgreens legal team, promoted key initiatives such as the Walgreens Legal Pro Bono program and mentored rising talent across the organization, the company said.

Taking over for Whataburger’s current executive vice president and chief legal and franchise officer Michael Gibbs, Kraus will be relocating from Chicago to San Antonio to work at the fast-food chain.

"Elena is a legal powerhouse with deep knowledge of corporate law and decades of experience navigating a fast-growing retail giant," Gibbs said. "Her expertise will be so valuable as Whataburger continues to grow and expand."

Kraus earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Texas at Austin and her law degree from DePaul University College of Law in Chicago. She started her career in a Chicago law firm and joined Walgreens in mid-1991. She and her husband, also an attorney, have three grown children.

"After emigrating to the United States from the Soviet Union, I lived in El Paso, Texas, where I graduated from high school before heading to college at UT Austin. Throughout these years, Whataburger was a community gathering place and a favorite destination," Kraus said. "I'm excited to return to Texas and my friends here — and to work for a company with a unique brand, a strong family culture and a clear business strategy."

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