NBLY Neighbourly Pharmacy Inc

Chris Gardner to step into Strategic Advisor role after 5 years of exceptional leadership

TORONTO, Jan. 24, 2023 /CNW/ - Neighbourly Pharmacy Inc. (TSX: NBLY) ("Neighbourly" or the "Company"), announces today the appointment of Skip Bourdo as Chief Executive Officer.  Chris Gardner has decided to step down as CEO and will continue to support the Company in a Strategic Advisor role.

Skip Bourdo is an accomplished pharmacy and healthcare executive with 30 years of industry experience. Mr. Bourdo had a successful 27-year career at Walgreens, one of North America's largest pharmacy chains, starting as a cashier, then store manager, and growing in positions of ever-increasing responsibility, including integration and business transformation roles, and culminating as Group Vice President, Pharmacy and Retail Field Operations for Walgreens' Western operations, where he oversaw a network covering 4,700 retail, health system and specialty pharmacy locations, generating over $46 billion in revenue, and employing over 120,000 team members in 29 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, serving nearly 4 million customers and patients every day.

More recently, Mr. Bourdo was Chief Operating Officer of Athletico, a rapidly growing, leading provider of orthopedic rehabilitation services across the United States. During his tenure at Athletico, Mr. Bourdo was responsible for bringing operational excellence, structure, and scale capabilities to Athletico's clinic operations, which almost doubled their retail footprint to 950+ locations over the course of two years. 

"We are thrilled to welcome Skip Bourdo to Neighbourly," stated Stuart M. Elman, Chair of Neighbourly's Board of Directors. "Skip is a seasoned pharmacy and healthcare leader with a wealth of operational and M&A experience.  Skip's impressive track record of driving growth, profitability and operational excellence will be critical as Neighbourly continues on its growth trajectory," concluded Mr. Elman.  

Mr. Bourdo said, "I am honoured and incredibly excited to take on the CEO role and lead Neighbourly through its next phase of growth. I look forward to continuing Neighbourly's focus on growing its network of independent pharmacies, while driving the health and profitability of the business and continuing to support the health needs of the communities we serve every day across Canada."

The appointment of Skip Bourdo follows a rigorous search process, which considered high quality candidates from Canada and the USA.

Chris Gardner continues to be committed to the success and growth of the Company and will remain with Neighbourly as a Strategic Advisor, supporting Mr. Bourdo and the Board of Directors over the next twelve months, including continuing to execute on the Company's robust acquisition pipeline. Mr. Gardner joined Neighbourly in 2017 and became CEO in February 2019 leading the Company's rapid growth – driving a nearly five-fold increase from 61 locations to 284 locations coast to coast, as well as its public offering in 2021.

"On behalf of myself and the Board, I'd like to thank Chris for his leadership and significant contribution to Neighbourly's success over the past 5 years. Chris joined the Company during the early stages of the organization's history and led Neighbourly through a period of exponential growth. Under Chris' leadership, the Company was recognized as the Fastest Growing Company in Canada in 2020 by the Globe and Mail and one of Canada's Best Managed Companies by Deloitte for the past 2 consecutive years. We are grateful to count on Chris' continued support as a Strategic Advisor," stated Mr. Elman.

Chris Gardner stated, "I am extremely proud of Neighbourly's success over the past 5 years, and I look forward to supporting Skip and the Board of Directors through this next stage of our growth." Chris Gardner added, "I am excited to welcome a leader of Skip's caliber and experience to Neighbourly and look forward to supporting him as he leads this great organization to new heights."

Neighbourly is Canada's largest and fastest growing network of community pharmacies. United by their patient first focus and their role as essential and trusted healthcare hubs within their communities, Neighbourly's pharmacies strive to provide accessible healthcare with a personal touch. Since 2015, Neighbourly has expanded its diversified national footprint to include 284 locations, reinforcing the Company's reputation as the industry's acquirer of choice.

SOURCE Neighbourly Pharmacy Inc.