Roz Brewer will become the only Black female CEO of a Fortune 500 company when she becomes the CEO of Walgreens on March 15, 2021.
Rosalind ‘Roz’ Brewer is currently the COO of Starbucks and the former President and CEO of Sams Club, a division of Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
USA Today referred to her as “one of corporate America’s most prominent women and black female executives.”
She became the first woman and the first African-American to fill the role of CEO at one of Wal-Mart Stores’ divisions.
In 2018, she was listed as the 34th in Forbes’ ranking of the most powerful women.
Here are 10 things Nigerian women should know about this powerful woman:
1. Roz Brewer is the first woman and first African-American to serve as COO of Starbucks.
2. In 2019, she also became the only Black woman to sit on Amazon’s board.
3. At Starbucks, Roz Brewer helped the company implement policy changes and racial bias training for employees in more than 8,000 stores.
She also bolstered Starbucks’ sustainability initiatives including the introduction of a reusable version of the popular Starbucks holiday cup.
4. She is married to John Brewer, and they have two children.
5. Before Starbucks, Roz Brewer was CEO of Sam’s Club which she helped bring into the modern day with services such as advance online ordering of groceries.
6. As the incoming Walgreens Boot Alliance CEO Rosalind ‘Roz’ Brewer will be handed a $24.7 million signing bonus on top of her annual salary of $1.5 million, according to a regulatory filing.
Under the terms of her contract, Brewer will receive a one-time bonus of $4.5 million, which is subject to repayment if Brewer voluntarily leaves without “good reason” or is terminated for cause within two years, the filing stated.
She will also receive a one-time long-term incentive award valued at $20.2 million in Walgreens stock, bringing her total bonus to nearly $25 million.
7. During her time at the Seattle-based coffee chain, Roz Brewer guided the company in its shift toward digital sales, led a tech-based overhaul of its company-owned stores and revamped employee benefits. She also led the company’s effort to adjust its store operations during the coronavirus pandemic.
8. For over two decades, Roz Brewer held various management positions at the global health and hygiene products company, Kimberly-Clark Corporation.
9. She formerly served on the board of directors at the Lockheed Martin Corporation and Molson Coors Brewing Company and is currently a member of the boards at Amazon and Starbucks
10. She will resign from her board positions at Starbucks and Amazon before taking over as the Walgreens CEO.
