Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (WBA) has announced the appointment of Rosalind (Roz) Brewer as the company’s Chief Executive Officer, effective March 15, 2021. Brewer will also join the WBA Board of Directors upon assuming the role.

Brewer most recently served as a chief operating officer, group president, and member of the Board of Directors of Starbucks Corporation, where she has been instrumental in helping the company accelerate its growth strategy, expand its global reach and drive value for all of Starbucks’ diverse stakeholders.

Prior to joining Starbucks, Brewer served as president and CEO of Sam’s Club, the members-only warehouse channel of Walmart Inc. While there, she successfully grew membership, transformed merchandise, and amplified the use of digital technology to enable a seamless shopping experience at scale, which led to sequentially improved comp sales.

“WBA is a world-class and trusted organization whose purpose I deeply admire,” said Brewer in a statement. “The healthcare industry is constantly evolving, and I am excited to work alongside the entire WBA team as we deliver further innovation and positively impact the lives of millions of people around the world every day. This is especially true today as the company plays a crucial role in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic. I step into this role with great optimism for the future of WBA, a shared responsibility to serve our customers, patients, and communities, and a commitment to drive long-term sustainable value for shareholders,” she said.

Before her time at Starbucks, Brewer worked at Sam’s Club from 2012 to 2017. She made history by becoming the first woman and first African American to lead a Walmart division. She is currently ranked #27 on Fortune’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business.

She joined Walmart in 2006 as regional vice president and later became president of Walmart East, where her P&L responsibility exceeded $100 billion. Prior to Walmart, she was with Kimberly-Clark Corp. for 22 years, starting as a scientist and ultimately serving as president of the Global Nonwovens Sector in 2004.

Roz earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Spelman College and attended Wharton’s Advanced Management Program and Stanford University’s Directors’ College.

She is a former director of Amazon, Lockheed Martin, and Molson Coors Brewing Company. She also chairs the board of trustees at Spelman College.