Career journeys
Career journeys at Walgreens are as unique as our team members. Whether joining us as an experience professional or just entering the workforce; every one of our team members has a story on how they arrived in their current role, and why they joined Walgreens. Here are some of their stories.
Ashly:
Pharmacist
Career Journey:
- June 2009 – September 2009: Graduate intern
- September 2009 – September 2010: Floater Pharmacist
- September 2010 – February 2011: Staff Pharmacist
- February 2011 – March 2016: On Site Specialty Pharmacy Manager
- July 2012: Pharmacist Conversion Coach
- December 2012 – March 2016: Lead Pharmacy Preceptor for PGY1 Community Residency Northeastern University/Walgreens
- August 2013: Pharmacist Conversion Coach
- March 2015: APhA House Delegate Walgreens Representative
- March 2016 – May 2016: Floater Pharmacist
- May 2016 – February 2018: Well Experience Site Pharmacy Manager
- May 2016 – February 2018: Lead Walgreens Pharmacy Manager Fitbit Pilot Research Study
- January 2017 – May 2018: Corporate Advisory Council Pharmacy Representative Region 8
- February 2018 – July 2018: Floater Pharmacist
- July 2018 – October 2019: Staff Pharmacist
- September 2018 – November 2018: Lead Pharmacist Coordinator for Community Outreach/Flu Clinics for District
- December 2018 – Present: Rite Aid Pharmacist Conversion Coach
- March 2019: Rx IMPACT Capitol Hill Representative for Walgreens/Massachusetts
- May 2019: Champion of Champions for Corporate Social Responsibility
- October 2019 – Present: Extended Pharmacist Conversion Coach- Special Project (Boston, MA)
On the career journey:
As a pharmacist with Walgreens for over ten years, I love that I have been provided with a multitude of unique developmental opportunities that have shaped me into the pharmacist I am today. When I first started with Walgreens, I had no idea that such exciting possibilities would be available to me as a retail pharmacist. I truly feel blessed that I have been able to grasp each one and use it to advance the profession and represent our company’s core values. I am inspired by Walgreens dedication to corporate social responsibility and I feel that the company’s initiative with community events was something early on in my career that kept me motivated and dedicated to the company, even when not at work. I wake up excited every day that my roles continue to evolve and feel that my growth at Walgreens has also developed me outside the company by giving me the confidence to speak at local and national conferences to further influence growth of other pharmacy professionals. Through my teaching experiences within the residency program, I developed skills to help facilitate drug-disease state management seminar for a semester at Northeastern University and influence future pharmacists. I have been lucky enough to have leaders that see my potential and continuously challenge me. I feel that I have been given more development in my career in 10 years than what some professionals may have in their entire career and this may not have been possible if I had been with any company other than Walgreens. I feel that my opportunities for growth are limitless and that I will always feel enthusiastic about the day because the pharmacy culture, as well as my career, is always evolving. At the end of each day, it’s important to realize your career truly is what you make of it and about seizing opportunities that are provided to you!
Dorothy:
Pharmacy Regulatory Systems and Affairs Manager
Career Journey:
- 2008 – 2010: Pharmacist
- 2010 – 2015: Pharmacy Manager
- 2015 – 2016: Registered Store Manager
- 2016 – 2019: Registered District Manager (Chicago, IL)
- 2019 – present: Pharmacy Regulatory Systems and Affairs Manager
On the career journey:
Throughout my career journey at Walgreens, it has been my privilege to experience and progress through multiple segments of our business. Although each role has been unique, each one has consistently been a source of tremendous mentorship and support, exposure to superior industry resources and tools, and opportunity to work alongside talented teams and incredible leaders within the organization. It is this comprehensive experience in the field and the consistent company expectation for high professional standards through which I gained a wide-ranging understanding of our business operations, how to solve for complex healthcare challenges, and offer our patients and customers complete, progressive solutions. Within my current role in pharmacy compliance, I am passionate about using these skills to make an even broader positive impact for our team members and patient communities.
James:
Director, Retail Operations
Career journey:
- May 2009 – May 2011: Management Trainee
- May 2011 – May 2012: Executive Assistant Manager
- May 2012 – September 2012: Assistant Store Manager
- September 2012 – March 2013: Store Manager (Deerfield, IL)
- March 2013 – July 2015: Implementation Manager- Local Specialty Pharmacy
- July 2015 – December 2016: Project Manager, Expense - Pharmacy and Retail Operations
- December 2016 – November 2017: Senior Business Process Manager, Supply Chain
- November 2017 – August 2018: Director of Retail Operations - Merchandising
- August 2018 – present: Director of Retail Operations- Special Assignment
On the career journey:
My career journey started in the stores and that is where I have been rooted, as well. For the first five years of my career I worked my way up to Store Manager while building relationships with my customers, many of which happened to be team members who worked at the Support Center. One of these customers helped me to get to my next role as an implementation manager for local specialty pharmacies, which was a rapidly growing area traditionally filled by individuals with pharmacy backgrounds. I was given the opportunity to bring a store leadership lens to the role which has helped to change the way that Walgreens onboards Pharmacists and Pharmacy Managers who are taking over and leading pharmacies as the Store Manager. The role also allowed me to build relationships with field leaders all across the country which taught me that you don’t need to limit your opportunities to areas where you are already familiar/have experience in, and that my previous experiences apply to very different roles.
My latest role has brought a lot of things full circle as I was able to reconnect and work with many groups that I had worked previously. Being on special assignment can be a very scary thing as the future is uncertain. For anyone considering a special assignment role, I would encourage them to strongly consider it, especially if it is in an area where you are passionate about and/or enjoy. The ability to work on something so new and transformative for the company far outweighs any concerns that come with being on assignment.
Through all of my roles with Walgreens, I have learned to not be afraid to step into something as long as it will give you the opportunity to stretch and grow.
Jeff:
Manager Asset Protection Solutions
Career journey:
- December 2003- May 2006 – Assistant Store Manager
- May 2006- August 2012 – Executive Assistant
- August 2012 – September 2016 – Store Manager (Grants, NM)
- September 2016 – December 2017: Business Analyst
- December 2017 – present: Manager, Asset Protection Solutions, Communication and Implementation
On the career journey:
I started my career with Walgreens in 2003 in Albuquerque, NM as an Assistant Manager. In 2007 I was promoted to Executive Assistant and in 2012 I became a Store Manager. During my time as a store manager, I was a part of the first Advisory Council group in 2016. While collaborating with the support office and other field team members during the Advisory Council meetings, I quickly became intrigued by the impact I could make while working at the support office. After networking and a few interviews, I was moving across the country to Deerfield to continue my career in the support office as a business analyst with the labor team. Three years later, I now lead the Communication and Implementation Team within the Asset Protection Solutions group.
As I look back on my 16-year career with Walgreens, I am amazed at all the support I have had across the organization, from my peers, to my managers, and to the team member I have led. It's as much a testament to how much people care not only for this company but for the people that work within it. It's helped me to as I continue to make the biggest positive impact I can. Going forward, I am excited about the strategy that our company is driving in this ever-evolving patient care landscape and know that Walgreens, with the help of my fellow team members, is in the perfect position to make a difference in our patient's lives.
s if I'm learning something new every day.Kayla:
Project Manager
Career journey:
- December 2012 – June 2014: Health Solutions Coordinator
- June 2014 – September 2017: Business Analyst
- September 2017 – present: Project Manager, Pharmacy & Retail Projects
On the career journey:
Throughout my Walgreens journey, I’ve been able to acquire various skillsets as I have progressed in my roles and have taken on more responsibility. Every role that I’ve had at Walgreens has consisted of partnering cross-functionally to digest information from the Support Center to deliver to our field team members in a clear and concise manner.
I started my career as a Coordinator supporting various Health System Partner initiatives including the Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). As I transitioned to a Business Analyst, my main focus was to support the Health System Partner relationship with Heritage Provider Network and Arizona Priority Care. As a Senior Business Analyst, I transitioned to the Health Care Clinic Team where I eventually got to lead the clinic transition to the University of Miami.
Today, as a Project Manager, I have taken all of the skill sets that I have developed through all of my roles with the company to develop and grow other team members. I am also responsible for developing proactive multi-layered field readiness plans that enable our field team members to undergo physical changes to their store, from pilots to large scale initiatives. This includes programs such as RAD Conversion, Beauty Differentiation, LabCorp, and Birchbox.
Since I started with the company, I have been an active participant and volunteer in the Business Resource Groups (BRG) which has led me to the Chair position of Next Gen Empowerment Network (NGEN). NGEN has provided me the ability to connect with people within the organization that I may have never worked with and develop key leadership skills to help further my career within Walgreens.
Perry:
Director of Pharmacy and Retail Ops
Career journey:
- June 2004 – July 2005: Management Trainee
- July 2005 – February 2006: Executive Assistant
- February 2006 – August 2009: Store Manager
- September 2009 – June 2013: Community Leader
- July 2013 – April 2015: District Manager (Vallejo, CA)
- April 2015 – February 2016: Frontier Leader
- February 2016 – December 2018: Director Pharmacy and Retail Operations
- December 2018 – Current: Team Member Operations, Director of Pharmacy and Retail Ops
On the career journey:
My career with Walgreens started back in 2004 when I joined right out of college as a Management Trainee in Berkeley, CA. I enjoyed learning the basics of how to run and operate a business- a Walgreens drugstore! Over the years, I worked at several different stores and was promoted to an Executive Assistant Manager role and then to Store Manager and Community Leader. I “grew up” at Walgreens in an established market with amazing managers and caring team members who taught me our Walgreens ways and culture. I learned how to become a more effective leader, and how to more effectively develop, coach and grow talent. I loved learning about pharmacy operations and partnering with my pharmacy managers to take care of our patients and grow prescription volume.
In 2013, I was promoted to District Manager and relocated to Orange County, CA. In 2015, I joined the Frontier team where I had the opportunity to partner with Walgreens leaders and consultants to help build, pilot and rollout new ways of working in the field. In 2016, I was promoted to Director of Pharmacy Retail Operations, and am now on DPR rotation at our Support Office in Deerfield, IL leading Team Member Operations. My team serves as a liaison for HR and broader business partners to help operationalize new team member impacting initiatives and programs so they land in the field with minimum disruption.
Roxanne:
Vice President, Retail and Finance Transformation
Career journey:
- September 1993 – August 2007: District Manager, store manager, pharmacy manager and pharmacist
- August 2007 – February 2009: Vice President, Operations
- February 2009 – August 2013: Vice President, Pharmacy & Retail Operations
- August 2013 – February 2016: Group Vice President, Pharmacy & Retail Operations
- February 2016 – September 2017: Group Vice President, Supply Chain Ecommerce & Engineering
- September 2017 – May 2018: Group Vice President, Supply Chain Inventory & Master Data Management
- May 2018 – December 2019: Group Vice President, Supply Chain operations
- December 2019 – present: Vice President, Retail and Finance Transformation
On the career journey:
I joined Walgreens as a management intern in 1993, and worked as a staff pharmacist and pharmacy manager in Chicago before transitioning to a role in store management. In 2003 I was promoted to district manager, a role I held in Minneapolis and Tampa before being promoted to vice president, store operations position in Tennessee in 2007. In 2009, I joined the corporate office team in Deerfield as vice president of operations administration, where I had oversight of the team that provided day-to-day support to store and field leaders in 8,000+ retail locations. While in this role, the division was transformed into the Retail Hub, a support office team responsible for the design, build and execution of all pharmacy and retail programs impacting the field.
Vruti:
Manager, Pharmacy and Retail Operations
Career journey:
- October 2014 – March 2017: Student Pharmacist
- March 2017 – August 2018: Pharmacist
- August 2018 – October 2018: Pharmacist on Special Assignment with Immunizations Team in Hub
- October 2018 – Present: Frontier Lead
- June 2020 - Present: Manager, Renewal RxP Change Management
On the career journey:
I started my journey with Walgreens in October 2014 as a Pharmacy Intern in St. Louis, MO. Since then, I’ve held various roles in the Pharmacy and spent about a year and a half working as a Pharmacist in the Chicagoland area. In August 2018, my DM and HCS approached me with the opportunity to come up to the Support Center on a special assignment with the Immunizations Team. I was very excited and thankful for the opportunity to be able to grow my skillset as I continue to develop my leadership skills.
Soon after, I look the leap of faith as I transitioned over to a new role as a Frontier Lead in the Hub, where I would no longer practice Pharmacy, but coach executives and team members through their change journey. This was a big shift in my professional life as I pushed myself outside my comfort zone in order to build my communication, coaching and development and collaboration skills, while working cross- functionally and leveraging great leaders across the organization.
In my current role, I am most passionate about supporting our pharmacy team members through the Rx Renewal adoption process as a change management champion.
I am grateful for the various opportunities Walgreens has provided me that has enabled my personal and professional growth and development as I continue to advance my career.
Stephanie:
Senior Manager Merchandising
Career journey:
- June 2009 – June 2011: Rotational HR intern
- June 2011 – July 2013: Rotational Merchandising Analyst
- July 2013 – May 2015: Senior Analyst, Global Merchandising
- May 2015 – June 2017: Manager, Merchandising Development
- June 2017 – present: Senior Manager, Merchandising Initiatives & Development
On the career journey:
I started with Walgreens full time after college as a rotational analyst in the Merchandising & Marketing Development Program, where I had 4 roles in 2 years across category management, visual merchandising/customer insights, seasonal strategy, and pricing. I had a variety of customer insights & analytical roles supporting the rollout of Boots brands, such as No7 in stores, in addition to evaluating performance of new merchandising initiatives in stores. I was then promoted to Manager, Merchandising Development, where I built out formal training programs for the merchandising organization.
In my current role, I am tasked with bringing beauty initiatives to life from strategy to launch in stores, while also leading merchandising early career development programs.
I have really enjoyed being part of an organization with such great people and endless opportunities. Throughout my time at Walgreens, I have had endless opportunities to uniquely develop myself as a leader. It’s great working with team members across the organization who are so passionate about ensuring we have the best products for our customers.
Aaron:
Sr. Manager, Market Planning & Research
"There are a lot of opportunities - you can always find what interests you here."
On his recent work experiences:
Since I started at Walgreens, I've worked in several markets within this department, in a variety of roles. Right now, I look for potential new locations in New York. I'm in contact with our real estate team, our operations team and with Walgreens specialty healthcare team – to open up on-site pharmacies and expand out beyond our physical stores.
On his approach to work:
I used to envision work as sitting at a desk from 9 to 5. I have learned from my experiences at Walgreens that work is what you make it. I have a lot of fun with my job. I do a lot of traveling and see a lot of different areas. I‘ve made a lot of good friends. I definitely don't look at it as what I have to do to earn a paycheck anymore. This is a part of my personality now.
On the culture:
We are encouraged to share our opinions, and we all participate. I work in a very friendly, very open department – and we have fun. We go out on the weekends, we spend time together, and we know each other's personal lives outside of work. It is more like a family.
On innovation:
Technology has had a significant impact. In the past couple of years, people have been able to work from home, from the field, and on the road. Walgreens has all the tools that we need to support a more mobile workforce – so we can access data and communicate easily no matter where we are.
On why he works here:
I can see a concrete result of what I do, and see the end product of my work. I know that people are going to be able to get the health care that they need more conveniently in a variety of communities. And it's a fun place to work – I'm exposed to a lot of different people and places all over the country.
On his interests outside of work:
I do a lot of volunteering with a group called Mentor, Teacher, Brother for at-risk high school students in the Chicago area. On weekends, I love to travel. I like to go to concerts. And Downtown Chicago has a lot of festivals and sports I can enjoy with my friends.