Walgreens names chief merchant, head of digital to help turnaround effort
Walgreens has made two key leadership appointments to its retail and customer experience team.
The pharmacy and heath care provider, which is part of Walgreens Boots Alliance, said the appointments will significantly contribute to its efforts with regard to the turnaround of the business as the company focuses on enhancing the front of store and omnichannel experience for its customers while driving in-store efficiencies. The two new leaders will join the company in late August.
Chief merchandising officer
Walgreens named Tracey Koller, senior VP and chief merchandising officer. She will be responsible for leading merchandising strategy across all categories, and the deployment of merchandising plans and programs to drive Walgreens’ competitive advantage. This includes leadership of product mix, supplier relationships and merchandising operations.
Most recently, Koller was chief merchandising officer at Party City. Prior to that, she was chief retail and merchandising officer at News Corp. She also served in executive positions at Whole Foods Market as well as Target, where she spent 17 years.
Throughout her career, Koller has gained a reputation as a highly collaborative leader who is passionate about the integration of customer insights with products and services, Walgreens said in a release.
Group VP, head of digital commerce
In other appointments, Walgreens named Sharmila Sudhakar as group VP and head of Walgreens digital commerce. She will be responsible for driving the company’s digitally initiated revenue growth across various business lines, including retail products, pharmacy, photo services and health services and strengthening digital engagement through omnichannel solutions.
Sudhakar joins Walgreens from Tailored Brands, where she served in a number of leadership positions, most recently as VP/general manager of the North America e-commerce business for The Men’s Wearhouse and Moores. Prior to Tailored Brands, she was with Walmart e-commerce. She also spent time at Tile, Gap Inc. and eBay.
Sudhakar is omni-retail executive with deep digital experience and a proven track record of delivering profitable growth, the company said.
“Our retail pharmacy business is uniquely positioned to expand the role we play in the lives of our patients who have come to expect and need retail pharmacy at the center of their care,” said Tracey Brown, executive VP and president, Walgreens retail and chief customer officer. “To do this, we are investing in the industry’s best talent, which includes the addition of Tracey and Sharmila to the Walgreens leadership team. With their strong track records of delivering results in omni-channel solutions and merchandising, I know they will be critical contributors to our growth and success as we deliver an efficient, highly relevant customer experience.”
