Walgreens adds to its retail and customer experience team

Walgreens, the independent retail pharmacy and healthcare provider, has announced two key leadership appointments to its retail and customer experience team as it focuses on enhancing the front-of-store and omnichannel experience for its customers.

Tracey Koller has been named senior vice president and chief merchandising officer, and Sharmila Sudhakar has been appointed group vice president and head of Walgreens digital commerce.

Tracey Brown, executive vice president and president of Walgreens retail and chief customer officer, said in a statement: “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 centre of their care.

“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.”

As the chief merchandising officer, Koller will be responsible for leading merchandising strategy across all categories, and the deployment of merchandising plans and programmes that will drive Walgreens’ “competitive advantage”. This includes leadership of product mix, supplier relationships and merchandising operations.

Koller will join Walgreens from Party City where she was chief merchandising officer. She brings more than 30 years of experience and a successful track record in omni-channel merchandising and operations at organisations, including News Corp, Whole Foods and Target.

Commenting on her appointment, Koller said: “I am amazed by the trust Walgreens has built in communities across the US and the impact the company has on the millions of lives it touches each day.

“It’s an exciting time to join the Walgreens merchandising organisation as the company sharpens its focus as a destination for areas it is uniquely positioned to lead, such as health and beauty and women's health, while also reevaluating its assortment to ensure its relevancy, leveraging select partners and Walgreens own brands.”

Sudhakar is joining Walgreens as group vice president and head of Walgreens digital commerce, from Tailored Brands, where she served in several leadership positions, most recently as vice president / general manager of the North America e-commerce business for The Men’s Wearhouse and Moores.

In her new role, she will be responsible for driving its digitally initiated revenue growth across various business lines, including retail products, pharmacy, photo services and health services and strengthening digital engagement through omni-channel solutions. She will also lead the end-to-end digital team including digital planning and operations, partnerships, product management and analytics.

Koller and Sudhakar will start their new roles in late August.