WBA names Walgreens chief customer officer, 2 other execs
Walgreens Boots Alliance has gained three additions to its executive leadership. The company has named Tracey Brown its new president of retail products and chief customer officer for Walgreens; Danielle Gray its executive vice president and global chief legal officer; and Jeff Gruener its senior vice president and CFO.
“I am pleased to welcome Danielle, Tracey and Jeff to the WBA family,” said Roz Brewer, CEO, Walgreens Boots Alliance. “They will be instrumental in continuing to build momentum across our business, as we further innovate, and work to define the future of health and well-being in the communities we serve for many years to come. I’m confident we will have the right leadership teams in place, bringing new energy and a wealth of experience to achieve our business and growth objectives.”
Brown joins Walgreens from the American Diabetes Association, where she had been CEO since 2018, leading a financial turnaround and a healthcare transformation for the organization. In her newly created position at Walgreens, Brown takes on responsibility for the consumer experience across all shopper touchpoints, as well as the task of creating and executing key strategies that develop a unique value proposition for the chain. She will also oversee merchandising and marketing efforts for Walgreens with a focus on accelerating its digital transformation and enabling a unified brand experience across channels.
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Prior to her work at the ADA, Brown was Walmart/Sam’s Club’s senior vice president of operations and chief experience officer. She also served as the company’s chief member and marketing officer. At Walgreens, the University of Delaware and Columbia Business School alumna will report to John Standley, president of Walgreens. She will officially move into the role at the beginning of November.
“This is a tremendous opportunity to work for a brand with such a strong heritage and history, deeply rooted in communities, and I’m excited to work with the team to find new and different ways to differentiate the customer experience,” Brown said. “I’m especially inspired to make a positive impact on the daily lives of the millions of customers that Walgreens serves each day – as well as improving the health and well-being of all people across the country. I look forward to furthering the great momentum that Roz, John and others across the company have built.”
Gray comes to WBA from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, where she was senior vice president, chief legal and administrative officer and corporate secretary, overseeing operations related to legal, audit, government affairs, compliance, external communications, marketing and community in engagement. At WBA, she is charged with supporting the company’s business strategy and goals and mitigating any legal barriers to business objectives, as well as setting the company’s legal and compliance agenda, among other duties.
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Gray’s public and private experience includes time at Melveny & Myers — where she was a partner representing healthcare companies, financial services organizations, universities and other clients — as well as time in the White House and the Department of Justice between 2009 and 2014. Her governmental roles included assistant to the president and cabinet secretary, deputy director of the National Economic Council and senior lawyer in the White House Counsel’s Office and Civil Division. Gray will report to Brewer and begin her role in mid-September.
“I am excited to join Walgreens Boots Alliance, and I’ve been truly energized by Roz Brewer’s vision for the global enterprise,” Gray said. “This is a pivotal time for the company and I’ve seen first-hand throughout the COVID-19 pandemic the critical role that WBA’s trusted brands are playing to meet the needs of communities, our healthcare systems and many partners across the eco-system. I look forward to helping accelerate and advance the company’s strategic priorities and to working with a world-class leadership team.”
As for Gruener, his most recent role was with Walmart, where he spent 12 years in roles of increasing responsibility, including senior vice president of finance and strategy, senior vice president of merchandising operations, vice president of finance for Sam’s Club and vice president of global procurement. He also had involvement with Walmart’s healthcare efforts, including financial oversight of health and wellness.
[Read more: Walgreens surpasses 29M COVID-19 vaccinations, brings back store employee mask requirement]
Gruener is charged with leading the Walgreens finance organization for WBA, helping create and execute strategies to advance business priorities. He will report to James Keyhoe, executive vice president and chief financial officer for WBA and start Aug. 30
“I have a deep appreciation for today’s dynamic retail environment and the Walgreens brand, and look forward to joining an organization and leadership team that is dedicated and focused on transforming the healthcare landscape,” Gruener said. “I’m also excited about the opportunity to develop and advance strategic initiatives that can drive sustained growth for the company, while creating even greater value for shareholders and Walgreens customers.”