Walgreens & Alliance Boots Advance Vision to Establish First Global Pharmacy-Led, Health & Wellbeing Enterprise with Appointm...
14 August 2013 - 10:30PM
Business Wire
Walgreen Co. (NYSE: WAG) (NASDAQ: WAG), the largest drugstore
chain in the U.S., and Alliance Boots GmbH, a leading international
pharmacy-led health and beauty group, today announced that Alex
Gourlay, Chief Executive of the Health & Beauty Division,
Alliance Boots, has been appointed as Walgreens Executive Vice
President, President of Customer Experience and Daily Living,
effective Oct. 1.
In this new role reporting to Walgreens President and Chief
Executive Officer Greg Wasson, Gourlay will lead an enhanced
Walgreens Daily Living business operation overseeing customer
experience, U.S. merchandising, marketing, customer insights, daily
living products and promotions. The move follows the Walgreens and
Alliance Boots strategic partnership announcement in June 2012,
when the companies set forth a two-step process that would allow
for the thoughtful integration of the two organizations. That
process began at the end of 2012 with the establishment of a joint
venture in Switzerland and the transition of key Walgreens and
Alliance Boots executives to that entity.
Wasson said, “We are very pleased to welcome Alex to Walgreens
as we continue to advance our Alliance Boots strategic partnership.
Alex’s move to lead the Walgreens Daily Living and Merchandising
team represents another important step forward, and is a key part
of our cultural integration. At Walgreens, Alex will lead a strong
Daily Living business team – which is already building momentum –
to further advance our vision to be the first choice in health and
daily living for everyone in America, and beyond. As he gains more
experience in the U.S. market, we will be better positioned than
ever to accelerate our daily living journey by combining the best
practices of both Walgreens and Alliance Boots. Alex’s new position
is a clear testament to the positive progress we are making in
bringing our two organizations together. In the future, you can
expect to hear about additional moves by both organizations to
further support the combination of our two iconic brands.”
Stefano Pessina, Executive Chairman of Alliance Boots,
commented, “Following last year’s announcement of our strategic
partnership, Alliance Boots and Walgreens have already made good
progress in paving the way for the creation of the first global
health and wellbeing enterprise. Today’s announcement is further
proof of our strong pace and momentum. Alex’s contribution to the
success of Alliance Boots and its Health & Beauty Division has
been invaluable. I am convinced that he will also make a huge
difference in advancing the Walgreens/Alliance Boots strategic
partnership, sharing his leadership and experience in driving
excellent customer care and developing innovative product and
service offerings. As a trusted pharmacy brand with a strong
heritage, Walgreens consumer profile in the U.S. is remarkably
similar to Boots in the U.K. We expect that further reciprocal
appointments will follow over time as we increasingly work closely
together.”
In June 2012, when Walgreens and Alliance Boots announced their
strategic partnership, the companies highlighted the opportunity to
bring together their strengths and expertise, expand their range of
innovative, cost-effective products and services for patients and
customers, and create an unparalleled portfolio of retail and
business brands including Walgreens, Duane Reade, Boots, and
Alliance Healthcare. In October 2012, Walgreens and Alliance Boots
announced the establishment of a jointly owned company, called
Walgreens Boots Alliance Development GmbH, based in Bern,
Switzerland.
Gourlay’s appointment to Walgreens advances the two companies’
partnership, integration and synergies of businesses, talent and
innovation. Named Chief Executive of the Health & Beauty
Division, Alliance Boots, in January 2009 and appointed to the
Group’s board of directors, he previously was
Managing Director of Boots U.K. and a member of
the Alliance Boots Group operating committee following
the acquisition of Alliance Boots plc by AB Acquisitions Ltd
in 2007. Gourlay also had served as Healthcare Director of Boots
the Chemists, having previously held senior
management positions in store operations and
human resources. He is a pharmacist and a member of the
Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.
About Walgreens
As the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2012 sales
of $72 billion, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) vision is to be the
first choice in health and daily living for everyone in America,
and beyond. Each day, Walgreens provides more than 6 million
customers the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer
goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and
wellness services and advice in communities across America.
Walgreens scope of pharmacy services includes retail, specialty,
infusion, medical facility and mail service, along with respiratory
services. These services improve health outcomes and lower costs
for payers including employers, managed care organizations, health
systems, pharmacy benefit managers and the public sector. The
company operates 8,105 drugstores in all 50 states, the District of
Columbia and Puerto Rico. Take Care Health Systems is a Walgreens
subsidiary that is the largest and most comprehensive manager of
worksite health and wellness centers and in-store convenient care
clinics, with more than 700 locations throughout the country.
About Alliance Boots
Alliance Boots is a leading international, pharmacy-led health
and beauty group delivering a range of products and services to
customers. Working in close partnership with manufacturers and
pharmacists, we are committed to improving health in the local
communities we serve and helping our customers and patients to look
and feel their best. Our focus is on growing our two core
businesses: pharmacy-led health and beauty retailing and
pharmaceutical wholesaling and distribution, while increasingly
developing and internationalising our product brands.
Alliance Boots has a presence in more than 25* countries and
employs over 108,000* people. Alliance Boots has pharmacy-led
health and beauty retail businesses in nine* countries and operates
more than 3,100* health and beauty retail stores, of which just
over 3,000* have a pharmacy. In addition, Alliance Boots has around
605* optical practices, of which around 190* operate on a franchise
basis, and around 390* hearingcare practices. Our pharmaceutical
wholesale businesses deliver over 4.6 billion* units each year to
more than 170,000* pharmacies, doctors, health centres and
hospitals from over 370* distribution centres in 20* countries.
In June 2012, Alliance Boots announced that it had entered into
a strategic partnership with Walgreen Co., the largest drugstore
chain in the US, to create the first global pharmacy-led, health
and wellbeing enterprise.
* Figures are approximations as at 31 March 2013 and include
associates and joint ventures.
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