It is a monumental moment for Rosalind Brewer as she becomes the first Black lady to head an S&P500 listed company Walgreens. Not only is she the first woman of color to be welcomed with open arms to the organization but also the first female to be appointed as its chief executive officer (CEO).
The 58-year-old who previously worked for Starbucks and became part of the franchise in 2017 as its chief operating officer said through a statement issued on her behalf by her new employer that she is looking forward to serving at WBA.
She added that she will continue to what it has till now successfully managed to do i.e. developing innovative and creative ideas for its customers and positively impact the lives of millions of people across the globe.
She added that it would be essential to analyze what strategies the firm will be using to move forward as it fights the prevailing COVID-19 conditions in the country.
Brewer is set to shoulder this huge responsibility in March and is devoted to taking the company towards growth and prosperity.
This is not the first time that she has battled prejudice, shared Brewer. From a very young age she has seen and faced discrimination and every time managed to come out stronger from those experiences.
She says that every incident taught her a lesson and motivated her to never give up and keep pursuing her goals and dreams.
In her graduation speech at Spelman College in 2018, she talked about how hard it is for people to accept somebody different from them can work at respectable and powerful positions.
Addressing the students and faculty she said that many times people have assumed her to be in the wrong place however it was them who needed to understand that they were in the wrong place. She was just doing what she was chosen to do because of sheer talent and capabilities.
Over the years Brewer has built an illustrious career for herself, being global president at Kimberly Clark and taking care of Walmart’s financials, dealing in billions of dollars. She has one exceptional resume making a name for herself and being declared as the 48th most influential woman in the world by Forbes.
She has also been very vocal about promoting workplace diversity and often uses her platform to spread awareness about the importance of hiring individuals from various backgrounds.