Roz Brewer, Walgreens’ first Black female CEO, steps down

Roz Brewer began leading Walgreens Boots Alliance in March 2021 and was the only Black female CEO of a Fortune 500 business at the time.

Walgreens’ first Black female CEO is stepping down after two years on the job.

Roz Brewer, who began leading Walgreens Boots Alliance in March 2021 and was the only Black female CEO of a Fortune 500 business at the time, announced her resignation in a lengthy LinkedIn post on Friday. She stated that both the Board and she had agreed to the decision, effective immediately.

Brewer said the moves come after carefully considering what would be best for the company’s shareholders, clients, patients, and her family. The Board has named Ginger Graham, WBA’s Lead Independent Director, as CEO in the interim.

“I am grateful to have had the opportunity to lead Walgreens Boots Alliance and to work alongside such talented and dedicated colleagues,” Brewer said. “When I joined WBA in March of 2021, I couldn’t then imagine all that we’d accomplish together.”

Brewer said in just two and a half years, she and the WBA have improved the lives of thousands of team members by raising the minimum wage. She joined the leadership at a time when COVID-19 was rampant, administering 70 million vaccinations after quickly establishing new scheduling systems for clients and a secure operating model for store staff.

She noted that they invested in their pharmacists after realizing the value of localized healthcare and their capacity to diagnose and treat common illnesses. They also improved the company’s performance and the customer experience by increasing digital sales through automated prescription fulfillment centers and enabling 30-minute delivery.

“Perhaps what I’m most proud of is our work to develop a strategic pivot towards the growth of WBA into health care,” Brewer said, acknowledging that they have created sizable new income streams for the firm through three strategic acquisitions to establish new infrastructure and extend and expedite healthcare offerings. 

“I leave WBA confident that it is on the track to be a leading consumer-centric healthcare company, serving thousands of communities across the country,” Brewer contended, “especially those that need access to healthcare the most.”

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