Wonder Women: Celebrating women making an impact in the industry
Being a woman in any industry can be a thankless job. Which is why this month, Drug Store News wants to shine a light on the women who have made an impact in the mass retail industry. The DSN Top Women in Health, Wellness and Beauty Awards were designed to celebrate the women in the industry who have managed to do great things for their organizations, “backwards and in high heels,” as the saying about Ginger Rogers goes.
The more than 140 women whose achievements are listed here — and who were honored during the two-day Top Women in Health, Wellness and Beauty Awards on Nov. 20 and 21 at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago — are a testament to what can be achieved when a person’s abilities are rewarded regardless of their sex.
The awards are divided into four categories — Career Achievement, Business Excellence, Rising Stars and Commitment to Care. Below are the two Career Achievement honorees, as well as links to the retailers and suppliers recognized in the other categories.
CAREER ACHIEVEMENT
Judy Sansone
Senior vice president of front-store business and chief merchant, CVS Health
During Judy Sansone’s more than 20 years at CVS Health, she shaped the future of how the company — and the industry — approached health care. The chain famously exited the tobacco category, changed its store design, and updated its product assortment to reflect the healthier items that consumers were seeking. She led the modernization of the ExtraCare loyalty program and improved the e-commerce experience. As Sansone gets ready to retire, she leaves not just a chain of 9,600 retail pharmacies, but an integrated model that increases access to quality care, delivers better health outcomes and lowers overall healthcare costs.
Mary Reno
CEO, Innovation
Technology expertise runs in the family at Innovation. After graduating from Harvard Business School in 1996, Mary Reno began working with her father, Joseph “Harry” Boyer, to refocus the family-owned company’s business interests to pharmacy automation in the retail pharmacy space. Mary was CEO and Harry was the chief technology officer and they debuted the pharmacy operations prescription fulfillment product, PharmASSIST, at the NACDS Pharmacy & Technology Conference in 1997. PharmASSIST now has 12 products and services used by large retail chains, the U.S. Department of Defense and others.