Former CEO of Create & Barrel to head up CVS Pharmacy

CVS Health Corp. has named a retail and digital veteran to lead its pharmacy and retail division.

The company has appointed Neela Montgomery as  executive VP and president of CVS Pharmacy/Retail, effective November 30.  She will oversee the company's 10,000 pharmacies across the United States.

Montgomery, currently a board partner at venture capital firm Greycroft,  served as CEO of Crate & Barrel from 2017 through July 2020. She is credited with growing the home furnishings retailer’s online sales channel to more than 50% of its total revenue. 

Prior to joining Crate & Barrel in 2017, Montgomery served as group executive board member of the Otto Group, a global retail and services group, whose holdings include Crate & Barrel, and one of the leading e-commerce retailers in the world.  

Before joining Otto, Montgomery served as UK general merchandise director at Tesco PLC. She held a number of senior management positions with Tesco, including U.K. e-commerce director. 

The top spot at CVS Health's retail division has been vacant since January, when the former president, Kevin Hourican, resigned to take the CEO spot at Sysco,

The appointment of Montgomery comes just a few weeks after CVS named Karen S. Lynch, currently executive VP, CVS Health and president, Aetna, as president and CEO, effective February 1. CVS Health COO Jon Roberts had taken the reins in the interim.

“Neela is a seasoned retail industry leader with extensive digital and e-commerce experience," said Lynch. "She brings deep consumer insights that will allow us to better anticipate consumers' changing needs and deliver even more value to our customers in local, personalized ways. Neela is well-positioned to lead CVS Pharmacy today and into the future."

Montgomery will report directly to Lynch and become a member of the company's executive team.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to help accelerate the company's bold vision to deliver consumer health services in the community and ensure CVS Pharmacy plays an essential role in customers' health moments,” said Montgomery.