2024-03-19 13:05:24
In this special section MMR recognizes more than 50 women who are among the best and brightest leaders in mass market retailing today. The profiles on the pages that follow tell the story of an industry whose leadership has become more diverse and inclusive, allowing it to better meet the rapidly evolving needs of its customers while leveraging the best minds and talent available. The profiles tell different stories, but some of the common elements are talent, hard work and dedication on the part of the leaders, and expanding opportunities, institutional support and mentorship at the companies they work for. Also worth noting is the fact that the executives profiled here occupy posts in the top echelons of management, spanning a range of disciplines, including marketing, operations, technology and human relations.
Executive Vice President, Merchandising
Costco Wholesale Corp.
ISSAQUAH, Wash. — As executive vice president of merchandising at Costco Wholesale Corp., Claudine Adamo leads the team that finds and often helps develop the products that bring members back to the company’s warehouse clubs again and again, often spending more than they planned because of the extraordinary values and treasure-hunt finds that are on offer there.
Costco, which celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, has a business model that sets it apart from many of its retail competitors. By offering a limited selection of nationally branded and private label products at extremely low prices, the company produces high sales volumes and rapid inventory turnover.
Adamo began her Costo career in 1992, shortly after earning her bachelor’s degree from Western Washington University. Her first job at the warehouse club operator was at a location in Kirkland, Wash., where she worked with the membership and security department.
A year later, she became an ICS for the Northwest Region of Foods and was promoted to assistant buyer in 1994. Since becoming a buyer in 1996, Adamo moved through several departments, including business delivery, e-commerce and consumer electronics. In 2004, as general merchandise manager and assistant vice president, Adamo moved to Los Angeles to open the Los Angeles Regional nonfoods buying office. Relocating back to Seattle in 2013, Claudine was promoted to vice president with responsibility for the home division. Then she moved over to consumer electronics, office and jewelry, before becoming senior vice president of nonfoods merchandising in 2018.
Adamo was a 30-year Costco veteran when she was named to her current position in 2022. She took the post vacated by Ron Vachris, who had just been named company president. (Vachris succeeded Craig Jelinek as Costco’s chief executive officer on January 1.)
Since then Adamo and her team have done their part to keep Costco on the growth track, as reflected in recent sales results. Earlier this month Costco reported that second quarter sales rose 5.7% to $57.33 billion, with comp sales rising 5.6% for the company as a whole, and e-commerce sales increasing by 18.4%, driven by sales of everything from gold to appliances to gift cards and e-tickets.
Looking ahead, Adamo and her teams are focused on increasing member value, delivering newness and excitement and further integrating technology and e-commerce strategies into Costco’s merchandising efforts. The ultimate goal is to enhance the customer shopping experience both in the warehouse clubs and online. She is also committed to expanding Costco’s commitment to sustainability and social responsibility within its product lines.
Chief Merchandising Officer
Ulta
BOLINGBROOK, Ill. — Ulta Beauty continues to produce strong sales and profits by giving customers what they want. That’s exactly Monica Arnaudo’s superpower as the chief merchandising officer for the nation’s largest beauty retailer.
“We’re proud to be a place where beauty lovers can discover the brands and products that unlock limitless possibilities to express their individuality,” says Arnaudo. “Our differentiated and diverse assortment is always rooted in guests’ beauty wants, which further cements our position as the most loved beauty destination, not only for brands to be discovered and grow, but for guests to have more options to explore.”
Arnaudo, who assumed her current role in 2019, taps into Ulta Beauty’s rich proprietary consumer insights and expert merchandising team to analyze data from industry resources, including Circana and Trendnalytics.
“We track and forecast beauty trends to ensure our guests can discover both established and emerging brands across all categories and price points. Additionally, we look at what’s trending in social across all platforms and what our guests are sharing with us in our comments section and in our DMs.”
She adds that Ulta Beauty’s relationship with its guests is crucial and changing faster than ever. “Our assortment will always not only reflect the guests’ voice but will evolve and move at the speed of culture and the ever changing beauty landscape to ensure we are meeting them at every stage of their beauty journey.”
Under Arnaudo’s leadership, Ulta Beauty has added and expanded many of the desired brands. “We’ve worked hard to create an assortment that’s truly reflective of the guests we serve and have launched and nurtured some of the brightest brands our industry has seen. From incredible celebrity-founded brands like Fenty Beauty by Rihanna, r.e.m. Beauty by Ariana Grande, Eilish fragrances from Billie Eilish, about-face by Halsey, and Jennifer Aniston’s LolaVie, to emerging up-and-comers like Divi, Live Tinted and Half Magic to the introduction of Luxury at Ulta Beauty which brought some of the biggest names in beauty to our stores including Chanel, Dior, Pat McGrath Labs, Natasha Denona, and Rabanne as well as our most recent fan favorites like Charlotte Tilbury, Sol de Janeiro and OLEHENRIKSEN. Not to mention the continued success of our long-standing partners — all 600 plus of them — there is so much to celebrate.”
Ulta Beauty takes pride in being a launchpad, working with emerging brands every step of the way, bringing their brand ethos to life through their in-store expression and display while providing personalized opportunities to further connect with its highly engaged loyalty members.
Executive Vice President, Consumables
Walmart
BENTONVILLE, Ark. — As executive vice president of consumables for Walmart U.S., Silvia Azrai Kawas leads the omni merchandising strategy and assortment for the company’s Consumables business, including baby, beauty, health and wellness, household essentials, personal care, and pets businesses.
Under Silvia’s leadership, the team has delivered growth, brought hundreds of new innovative items and brands to customers, and has leveraged technology to improve the customer experience.
As the team focuses on helping customers save money so they can live better, the industry has noticed. Walmart Beauty was recognized for the second year in a row by the leading beauty trade and Walmart was named Health & Wellness Retailer of the Year by another.
Walmart’s Wellness Day, which occurred in January, was not only a traffic driver for the retailer’s health and wellness business, but a vital means of building customer awareness of Walmart’s extensive offerings in the category.
“Part of the Wellness Day experience includes browsing, and even sampling, some of the wide-ranging, innovative items we offer over the counter,” Azrai Kawas noted in a blog post on the company website. “We know the new year is top of mind for families, and our growing assortment reflects creative ways we ensure affordable, high-quality options are available. I’m thrilled to share our new offerings in O-T-C health and wellness with our customers to help them save money and live better.”
Silvia was promoted to executive VP of Consumables last July, taking responsibility for the category’s omnimerchandising strategy and assortment strategy. Prior to that she had been senior VP of merchandising for health and wellness merchandising since February 2022.
Her Walmart career began in 2002 as a marketing manager for Walmart Financial Services, supporting the development of products and services for the financially underserved. By 2007 she had risen to senior group manager, prepaid debit and network branded gift cards, but at the end of 2009 she transitioned to merchandising, taking the position of director of strategy, merchandising innovations. In that role she supported strategy, process and organizational design.
In 2012 she was appointed divisional merchandise manager (DMM) for snacks, and two years later was promoted to VP of adult beverages, later serving as VP of dry grocery. In 2019, Silvia joined the private brands team as VP of private brands for food, including both packaged and fresh food.
Senior Vice President,
Information Technology
Applications and Base Engineering
Dollar General
GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. — With more than 20 years in the retail industry, Shweta Bhatia, senior vice president of information technology applications and base engineering, leads Dollar General’s technology development, overseeing the implementation and management of all the retailer’s IT infrastructure systems and platforms.
“In all my roles, I’ve had the privilege of driving strategic value across business units, including merchandising, supply chain, stores, digital and marketing,” she says. “Leveraging technology to drive transformative changes in the retail industry is something I am deeply passionate about, and I strive to make a tangible impact through every decision and action our team undertakes.”
Since joining DG in 2022, Bhatia has taken the company’s mission of Serving Others to heart, working every day to drive innovations that improve the customer experience and create new opportunities for the company and its employees. She’s committed to instilling that mission into her teams, too, and emphasizes the unique value the company brings to each community it serves.
“I’m incredibly proud of our team’s accomplishments. Merely pursuing technology for technology’s sake is not effective; establishing genuine partnerships with the business and collaboratively building the future vision are essential for success. At Dollar General, we have an amazing group that is customer focused and dedicated to prioritizing DG’s mission in every project, ensuring that we’re always enhancing customers’ experience and meeting their needs, despite the ever-changing landscape,” she says.
To navigate this dynamic landscape and meet customers where they are, Bhatia and her teams must pivot constantly. For example, DG is currently working to enhance consumer engagement on digital channels such as Meta where customers are now gravitating to drive store traffic.
She strives for ‘leveraging technology to drive transformative changes in the retail industry.’
Beyond the responsibilities of Bhatia’s role, she is passionate about building and developing strong, high-performing teams and serves as the executive sponsor of Dollar General’s Young Professionals employee resource group (ERG).
Helping develop talent is her way of repaying those who have contributed to her own development and success, she says. In 2023, Bhatia published Reinvent Your Career, a book in which she shares strategies for navigating professional transitions, achieving career success and designing a fulfilling life through personal stories.
“Seeing individuals grow and develop their skills, contributing to their personal development, is very fulfilling and gratifying. That is probably the most rewarding aspect of my job and my career.”
Executive Vice President and
President, Walgreens Retail and Chief Customer Officer
Walgreens
DEERFIELD, Ill. — As executive vice president and president of Walgreens Retail and the company's chief customer officer, Tracey Brown's mission is clear: to make Walgreens the most convenient health and wellness destination with the most trusted offerings across the health care continuum.
Leading Walgreens’ $30 billion retail business, Brown's role is critical in sculpting the consumer experience at every point of contact — retail, pharmacy and health. Her leadership is instrumental in devising strategies that propel Walgreens forward in an intricate and competitive market. Brown's focus on digital transformation is pivotal, aiming to ensure a cohesive brand experience — whether in-store, online, or on a mobile device — thus reflecting her commitment to creating an accessible and integrated health care journey.
Her mission is to make Walgreens the most convenient health and wellness destination.
Under Brown's stewardship, more than 200,000 team members work cohesively across various domains, including merchandising, marketing, product development, digital platforms, omnichannel strategies, store formats, data analytics, asset protection, real estate and supply chain management. She aims to drive Walgreens into a digitally forward era, prioritizing efficiency and accessibility to elevate consumer health engagements and convenience.
Before joining Walgreens, Brown held several leadership positions, highlighting her deep engagement with health care, digital engagement and consumer connections. Perhaps most notably, her role as the chief executive officer of the American Diabetes Association showcased her ability to lead transformative initiatives, emphasizing advocacy, research and support for those living with diabetes.
Before that, Brown held significant roles at Sam's Club, Walmart, RAPP Dallas, Direct Impact, Advanced Micro Devices, American Express, Proctor & Gamble and Exxon Mobil, where she excelled in operations, customer experience and driving business growth.
Amidst the challenges of a fluctuating economy, Brown emphasizes the importance of creating value and convenience for customers to help improve their overall health and well-being.
"Accenture reports that while consumers are making difficult spending trade-offs spurred by economic constraints, they don't plan to do so when it comes to health and fitness spending," Brown says. "In this environment, it's important that retailers focus on consumer value, especially when it comes to health. Through Walgreens owned brand products, we are focused on increasing the breadth and value of our offering with an emphasis on quality, innovation and trust. Walgreens-owned brands will continue to be a priority across the business as we seek to deliver high-quality products."
Chief Marketing Officer,
Pharmacy and Consumer Wellness
CVS
WOONSOCKET, R.I. — As chief marketing officer of the Pharmacy and Consumer Wellness business unit, Erin Condon leads the teams that drive the integrated marketing plans and shopper experience in CVS Pharmacy stores.
“I have the privilege of being part of the retail leadership team at CVS Health. In this role, I lead teams that are on the forefront of using data, insights, technology and creativity to drive customer acquisition and retention. This includes demand creation, demand capture and CRM strategies, but also includes shopper experience strategy and activation in our stores,” explains Condon.
“The challenges in my role are many of the same challenges my marketing peers face: The consumer is changing rapidly, and being in front of where they will go next keeps us on our toes. The economy is uncertain, and in a world where everything is more accessible for the consumer, brand differentiation is more important than ever — it’s imperative we make our customers feel something different about our brand, with consistency,” she adds.
Condon notes that among the achievements she is most proud of during her time at CVS Health is that she is working for and with some of the brightest marketing minds. “I take pride in having helped develop and accelerate our digital marketing capabilities and bringing those capabilities to the point where we were able to stand up our own media exchange, cMx. I am also proud of the work we have done to differentiate ourselves with consumers by making purpose-driven moves that benefit the consumer and have business impact. Six years ago, we did this with our stance on digitally altered imagery in the beauty industry, and the negative effects on young girls and women, with the introduction of the Beauty Mark. And most recently, we took steps towards addressing foundational women’s health needs with our HERe, Healthier Happens Together platform. In the states in which we are allowed to do so, we are paying the menstrual tax on our customers behalf, and we also put processes in place to ensure that we are not pricing products differently because of gender (often referred to as the “pink tax”). Our efforts are resonating very strongly with women and men.
She adds that despite challenges in the economy, consumers continue to prioritize health and well-being. “Consumers are taking more steps to proactively manage their everyday well-being, whether that’s staying on top of seasonal immunizations, taking daily vitamins and supplements to boost everyday immunity, or trying new skin care products as part of their beauty routine. The consumer defines health and well-being not as the absence of sickness, but as living well.”
Senior Vice President, Assistant General Counsel,
Labor and Employment
Dollar General
GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. — As senior vice president and assistant general counsel for labor and employment at Dollar General, it’s Melanie Cook’s responsibility to manage the company’s legal risks and help navigate and implement the company’s strategic plans and initiatives. And when those plans include extensive growth — the company has increased its store count by nearly 150% since Cook joined in 2008, opening its 20,000th store in GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. —February 2024 — the stakes for her team and the business are raised.
“A key piece of our work supporting DG’s growth strategy is ensuring that we maintain the core values of who we are as an organization while expanding the current business model to maximize the company’s impact,” says Cook, who has served in her current role for the past nine years. “DG has a highly collaborative environment, where everyone is focused on the impact their work has on employees and customers — evaluating risk and compliance during this growth period is no exception. It’s about finding ways to ensure we’re maintaining compliance with the law without disrupting the business so Dollar General’s employees can do what they do best — serve our customers.”
DG’s team environment is one of the aspects Cook appreciates most about working for the company; she is inspired by the corporate culture and the mutual recognition among various teams that everyone’s job is important, regardless of title.
“I advise and work closely with all levels of the organization serving as a thought partner and advisor to help mitigate risk on various issues that might pop up along the way,” says Cook, who was also named to MMR’s Most Influential Women list in 2022.
Though Cook has been with DG for 16 years, she is quick to point out that she is not the longest tenured lawyer at the company. “The longevity of employees speaks volumes about DG. I love DG’s growth story and how it promotes employees’ personal growth and career development. There are so many who have worked their way up from store manager to divisional vice president. DG creates a path of opportunity that most retailers don’t offer. It is a special place to work.”
Cook, who grew up in Kentucky and always wanted to be an attorney, says she was drawn to DG by the retailer’s service-focused mission and culture.
“I like knowing that I work for a company where our mission is Serving Others — something that is rooted in making every day better for somebody else. When you know that you’re helping somebody stretch their dollar a little bit more to make life better for them and their families, it makes you recognize that there’s a larger purpose to what you’re doing every day.”
Executive Vice President,
Chief Merchant
Sam’s Club
BENTONVILLE, Ark. — In recent years Sam’s Club has achieved stunning sales growth without expanding its physical footprint. Much of the credit for that extraordinary accomplishment belongs to Megan Crozier and her team of merchants, who have demonstrated a deft mastery of crafting a product assortment that combines compelling and unique national brand offerings with a revamped Member’s Mark private brand.
Crozier was appointed chief merchant in September 2019 and was elevated to executive vice president in March 2020, a promotion that carried with it leadership of both in-store and e-commerce merchandising. In this role, she leads a cross-functional team of merchandisers, product managers, pharmacists and supply chain engineers.
In fact, Crozier’s Walmart journey began as a supply chain engineer at a grocery distribution center in 2003 after graduating from Oklahoma State University with a degree in industrial engineering. In 2004 she transferred to the home office in Bentonville to take the position of merchandising logistics manager for supply chain.
However, she was soon attracted to the work of the buyers and category managers, and in 2005 transitioned to the position of electronics buyer. Over the next decade, Crozier advanced steadily through a succession of merchandising roles until she was promoted to vice president and divisional merchandise manager for frozen foods in 2015.
Two years later she was promoted again to senior vice president and general merchandise manager of packaged goods, a position she held until her appointment as chief merchant. Crozier has emphasized the need for her team to be highly disciplined in their assortment strategy so they deliver great items that members want, including unique products that provide a special delight, such as the Elton John Eyewear collection, which debuted in 2021.
But Crozier noted that Sam’s Club’s success also comes from the retailer’s ability to combine great product offerings with time-saving convenience for a shopping experience competitors cannot match. During a Walmart Keynote presentation at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES), she said that Sam’s Club is reimagining the future of retail and aspires to be the most convenient place to shop, leveraging technology in pursuit of that goal.
“We have a digital relationship with our members, and when we say digital, most people think of curbside pickup or delivery services,” she said. “But something we’re really proud of is the digital relationship we have with members while they’re physically shopping our clubs, and that’s through our app.”
While the app incorporates a host of features, including an AI-powered “did you forget?” prompt, perhaps unique to the Sam’s Club app is Scan & Go, which allows members to scan items as they shop, pay for their purchases by tapping their handheld device with a credit card, and show their digital receipt as they leave the club — without going through a checkout line.
Senior Vice President of
Asset Protection and Safety
Dollar Tree
CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Alisa Dart joined Dollar Tree Inc. last spring as senior vice president of asset protection and safety, a role that gives her oversight of two business groups: asset protection and environmental health and safety.
Dart sees her mission as leading the evolution of both groups by fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration and continuous improvement.
“I am committed to leveraging cutting-edge strategies, embracing emerging technologies and nurturing a dynamic environment that encourages creativity and adaptability,” she says. “Through strategic initiatives and a collaborative approach, my aim is to propel our business group to new heights of success, ensuring that we not only meet but exceed our goals.”
‘I take pride in the fact that my success is rooted in resilience, dedication and hard work. ’
Prior to joining Dollar Tree Dart spent more than a quarter-century in retail operations as a leader in asset protection, business continuity, store operations and safety, with stints at Albertson’s, Nordstrom, Macy’s and Target.
At Albertsons Cos., she was instrumental in leading the development and implementation of a workplace violence prevention program to over 2,200 stores. She also led the supermarket chain’s initiative to build asset protection technology and product protection solutions that reduced shrink-related losses.
“I take pride in the fact that my success is rooted in resilience, dedication and hard work,” Dart says. “I have been very fortunate to learn from amazing leaders and been a part of fantastic teams. I have proudly excelled in a senior leadership role within a traditionally male-dominated business, where my contributions have trailblazed the way for many others. My journey reflects not only my leadership acumen but also a commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. I’ve leveraged my skills to contribute meaningfully, drive positive change and achieve measurable results.”
Dart graduated from Northeastern Illinois University with a bachelor of arts degree in criminal justice. She earned a master of science degree in criminal justice and public safety from Lewis University, a private institution in Romeoville, Ill.
Dart says she takes great pride in her track record in building high-performing teams and nurturing the growth of future leaders.
“Throughout my career, I have demonstrated a strategic approach to team development, fostering a collaborative and inclusive environment that enables individuals to thrive,” she says.
Chief Corporate Affairs and Communications Officer
Rite Aid
PHILADELPHIA — Joy Errico has led Rite Aid’s internal and external communications team for more than two years driving consumer and corporate messaging and crisis communications.
She also recently took on the role of president of Rite Aid Healthy Futures, a public charity dedicated to uplifting communities through equitable access to the things they need most. Additionally, she has had the opportunity to flesh out the communications team and function, and consequently, give the company a more cohesive voice.
“Our team has also discovered innovative and more effective methods of reaching associates — the heart of our company — including developing a new podcast for internal employees called The Front Line and implementing a strategic approach when communicating change to associates,” she says.
Through all of this, Errico says she has learned many valuable lessons: “The list is long, but my favorites are: Always come with a solution versus a problem. Developing genuine relationships with colleagues and partners should always be your No. 1 priority, as everything flows from there. You always do your best work when you lean into your authentic self. Control what you can control — focus on doing the best job you can and adding the most value versus comparing yourself to others, as that is energy that could be spent on improving yourself. Show appreciation as much as you can — it means more than you know. Skill alone is not enough to move up to the next level — emotional intelligence is the key to success.”
She is currently Rite Aid’s chief corporate affairs and communications officer, having been promoted from chief communications officer in November. She oversees key elements of Rite Aid’s brand and reputation, including leadership of the internal and external communications teams; public relations; Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG); the relationship between the company and Rite Aid Healthy Futures; and event management. Her mission is to enhance and protect the Rite Aid brand and to foster trust and establish credibility with all company stakeholders, both internal and external.
“The most rewarding part of my role is when I can shine a bright light on the positive impact our associates have on our customers every day,” she comments. “Our pharmacists and retail associates deliver products and health care services with compassion and a personalized touch, which is really rare to find in a retailer today.”
When she joined Rite Aid in early 2022, the company had a smaller communications team, with only one person in external communications, but Errico has since advocated for a more robust team to manage corporate reputation.
Executive Vice President and Chief Community
Impact and Equity Officer Target
MINNEAPOLIS — Kiera Fernandez was promoted to executive vice president and chief community impact and equity officer of Target last October. Her new role gives her oversight of external stakeholder engagement as well as the retailer’s diversity, equity and inclusion strategy and corporate philanthropy efforts, including the Target Foundation.
Fernandez, who reports to Matt Zabel, chief corporate affairs officer, is a founding member of Target’s Racial Equity Action and Change (REACH) committee, and has extensive leadership experience across human resources, retail operations, process and project management, and large-scale frontline leader and team development.
Throughout her more than two decades with Target, Fernandez has held a variety of human resources leadership roles in support of business areas from finance to operations, to global supply chain and logistics. She began her Target career in 2001 as an executive team leader at a Target store in Arizona and subsequently served as a store team leader and then regional sales manager.
In 2009 Fernandez was named group human resources manager, and in 2016 she was promoted to the position of director of human resources. Less than a year later she was elevated to senior director of human resources.
In 2019 Fernandez was promoted to vice president of human resources, with responsibility for the program management office that supports all operations, asset protection, property management and human resources for Target’s entire stores and global supply chain and logistics organization. In that position, she played a critical part in the transformation of the store experience and Target’s operating model.
When Target was once again named one of Fortune magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For last year, Fernandez shared her personal reaction to the honor on Linkedn.
“I’m thrilled to share this recognition, because it reflects what’s so special about the Bullseye: the team’s commitment to our culture, guests and communities, and Target’s commitment to the best team in retail,” she wrote. “Really proud to be part of a team that is investing in opportunities for all team members as they pursue their career journeys and dreams. In my 20-plus years at Target, I’ve seen up close, and experienced myself, how life-changing this commitment to team can be.”
In turn, Target team members have a strong tradition of voluteering their time and talents. Last year, team members donated over 1 million hours — the fourth time that milestone has been reached. Among the top causes that benefited from this volunteerism were community development, wealth-building economic opportunity and hunger relief, which included in-kind donations.
Vice President, Merchandising, Beauty/Personal
Care and Hispanic Center of Excellence
CVS
WOONSOCKET, R.I. — As vice president of merchandising for CVS Health, Andrea Harrison is responsible for the cosmetics, skin, fragrance, hair and personal care categories, as well as the beauty service program within the company’s retail business. Andrea has also recently assumed responsibility for the organization’s Hispanic Center of Excellence with a focus on ensuring localized assortments that reflect the needs of this important and growing segment of the consumer population.
Harrison explains that the beauty shopper today continues to evolve to focus on and expect not only the tried-and-true beauty products that they know and love but also the accessible health and wellness offerings and convenience that CVS offers them.
“That health and wellness focus has driven many of the moves my team and I have led over the years, not least of which is the continued evolution of the Beauty Mark initiative, one of the achievements I am most proud of,” says Harrison.
“Over the past several years, we’ve seen the power of being a purpose-driven company and our proven ability to influence the industry to help our consumers have a healthier relationship with beauty,” she adds. “Since it was unveiled in 2018, we have continued to evolve our Beauty Mark mission based on the changing needs of consumers.”
In May 2023, to commemorate the fifth anniversary of Beauty Mark and aligning with Mental Health Awareness Month, CVS debuted a new social media campaign titled Role Model that powerfully showcases the impact of altered social media imagery on the younger generation and aims to spark change in social media behavior, encouraging consumers to practice image transparency by using #beautyunaltered or #digitallyaltered when they post.
Harrison points out that over the last six years, CVS has engaged thousands of influencers to rally around its Beauty Mark mission by posting unaltered imagery. Teamed with the Role Model campaign, CVS is continuing to work with dozens of influencers who can authentically speak to the topic — including Abbie Herbert, Arshia Moorjani, Dr. Mariel Buqué, Victoria Garrick Browne, Zahra and many more — and inspire consumers to participate in practicing transparency.
Harrison and her team continue to reimagine the assortment, value and physical space that has become increasingly appealing to consumers, all through a health and wellness lens.
She notes that product assortment is very important to consumers. “As healthy skin continues to be a major priority for us, we are always looking to introduce new products and experiences that meet the unique and individual needs of our diverse consumer base.”
Chief Growth Officer
Target
MINNEAPOLIS — Christina Hennington was named Target’s chief growth officer in February 2021, capping an impressive career with the retailer that began in 2003 as a buyer and that has seen her rise through a succession of merchandising leadership roles. In her current position, Hennington leads the merchant teams responsible for Target’s five key merchandising categories, as well as several enterprise capabilities, including the Target in India team and the product design and sourcing teams.
In addition, Hennington oversees Target’s overall enterprise strategy. As chief growth officer, she works across the organization to identify and pursue revenue-generating strategies that can deepen the company’s relevance with current and prospective guests.
The last two years, though, have been challenging ones for Hennington and for Target as inflation has hammered consumers’ confidence, compelling them to hunker down and focus on basic necessities and forgo the kind of discretionary purchases that have fueled much of Target’s past top-line growth.
During Target’s third quarter conference call last November, Hennington described the consumer environment as the retailer entered the crucial holiday season.
“Consumers are feeling the weight of multiple economic pressures, and discretionary retail has borne the brunt of this weight for many quarters now,” she said. “In addition, consumers are facing newly emerging headwinds, including higher interest rates and the return of student loan payments. In the face of this mental and emotional tug of war, consumers are looking for a respite, which is why we are relentless in our pursuit to provide ease, inspiration, joy and comprehensive value every day.”
Hennington’s background equipped her well to fill senior leadership roles. Prior to joining Target in 2003, she worked with the consulting firm Price-waterhouseCoopers in Boston and also served as product manager for two technology start-ups.
At Target, she initially gained experience as a buyer in toys, then beauty and electronics before being named MP director of household/personal care/baby and beauty. In 2011 she was promoted to vice president and merchandise manager for beauty and personal care, followed by elevation to senior vice president of health and beauty in 2014.
A year later, Hennington was named senior vice president of merchandise transformation and operations, a role that encompassed a broad range of responsibilities, including negotiations, analytics, category management and oversight of Target’s small-store formats, to name just a few. She also played a key role in modernizing the merchant organization, integrating the store and digital buying functions — a move in which Target led the industry.
In addition, Hennington has been active in diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) efforts, and serves as sponsor of several employee resource groups. She was also a founding member of the Racial Equity Action and Change committee (REACH) in 2020.
Group Vice President,
General Merchandise Manager of Health, Wellness, Beauty and Personal Care
Walgreens
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Over the course of a career at Walgreens spanning 23-plus years, Heather Hughes has demonstrated an extraordinary range of talents that have enabled her to move easily across different areas of the business.
Hughes joined Walgreens in 2000 as a pharmacist and within a few months moved up to pharmacy manager. In 2007, though, Hughes changed directions, moving into merchandising as category manager for the baby, sanitary, feminine hygiene and condom categories. Among her responsibilities were the creation of mentoring initiatives and training programs for merchandising assistants and associate category managers.
Since then Hughes has moved up steadily through a succession of merchandising leadership roles of increasing responsibility in categories that span the front end, from baby care to seasonal and general merchandise to beauty and personal care. Not surprisingly, she has utilized her pharmaceutical expertise to bring a unique perspective to her merchandising work, which has included leading a number of transformative initiatives Walgreens.
More recently, she was promoted to her current position as group vice president and general merchandise manager of health, wellness, beauty and personal care — a position for which she seems to have been destined from the beginning.
“From the early stages of my career I recognized the synergies between beauty/personal care and wellness,” she said in a recent interview. “Understanding the strong connection between skin health and overall well-being, I’ve been able to play a pivotal role in curating product assortments that empower our customers and patients to care for their skin and treat it as a gateway to holistic health.”
Throughout her career, Hughes has consistently championed the importance of health and wellness, and she is enthusiastic about the opportunity to bring that business closer to beauty and personal care. But perhaps none of her accomplishments evokes more pride than establishing and growing Walgreens’ partnership with Vitamin Angels.
“Over the past 10 years I’ve led initiatives to provide essential vitamins to pregnant individuals and young children in underserved communities across all 50 U.S. states, Puerto Rico and globally, ultimately reaching over 400 million women and children,” she pointed out. “I was the divisional merchandise manager during the launch of Vitamin Angels, and achieved the first big milestone of reaching 100 million children.”
Hughes attributes much of her growth as a leader to superb mentors, including her volleyball coach at Butler University, Sharon Dingman, and Richard Ashworth, former president of Walgreens. Now, in her current role, she derives the greatest satisfaction from being able to carry forward their practices in her own mentoring activities.
“Beyond being a professional obligation, it’s a passionate pursuit fueled by the belief in the potential of others,” she said.
Chief Operating Officer,
AllianceRx Walgreens Pharmacy
Walgreens
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Tracey James decided she wanted to be a pharmacist while in college, driven by a profound desire to help people. That aspiration continues to motivate James in her current role as chief operating officer of Walgreens enterprise specialty.
“One of the things I love about being a pharmacist is the evolving science behind new products coming to market,” she says. “The innovation and ability to treat conditions you know couldn’t be treated before, and really making a difference in the lives of patients, is what drives me.”
James hails from a small town in northeastern Ohio, where she excelled as a two-time state champion in softball during her high school years. This early exposure to teamwork and community spirit significantly shaped her professional ethos, instilling in her the values of resilience, collaboration and a relentless drive to succeed.
Early in her career, James was introduced to specialty pharmacy, which focuses on complex disease states and requires a high level of engagement with medication therapy and patient care. That sector has remained a passion throughout her professional journey, which saw her navigate her way through every aspect of the pharmacy business. James started as a staff pharmacist, became a trainer, a supervisor, a regional manager, and eventually joined AllianceRx Walgreens Pharmacy to head its pharmacy services division. Becoming chief operating officer for AllianceRx (which integrated with Walgreens last summer) was a significant milestone.
Another highlight was being chosen as one of the Top 50 Women Leaders of Ohio for 2023. “It was rewarding to be included among other women and recognized for bringing new perspectives, innovative ideas and inclusive decision-making styles that contribute to better problem solving and enhanced organizational performance,” she says.
James’ responsibilities as COO encompass a broad spectrum of operations within Walgreens’ specialty enterprise, ranging from profit and loss management and pharmaceutical and payer relations to overseeing clinical and professional services revenue cycle management, and the company’s Specialty360 therapy teams. Her mission revolves around advocating for customers and team members alike.
Recent achievements under her leadership include advancements in gene and cell therapies, areas she is particularly passionate about.
“I can’t think of a more exciting time to work in specialty pharmacy than now,” she says. “It is an honor to lead and be part of building new capabilities and clinical services that will allow patients suffering from genetic diseases or cancer the opportunity to receive therapies that may even cure these debilitating diseases.”
Senior Vice President, Business Transformation
Hy-Vee
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — As senior vice president of business transformation, Lindsay Knoop is driving forward the largest transformational project in Hy-Vee history.
In 2023, Knoop was tapped to lead the planning and execution of Hy-Vee’s new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. The system will combine hundreds of Hy-Vee’s existing business applications into one integrated system to streamline and optimize the company’s operations.
The end result will require process changes across Hy-Vee’s finance, supply chain and retail operations, which will lead to greater efficiencies across the company. It’s a massive undertaking for the $13 billion grocery retailer, which operates more than 550 retail business units across eight Midwestern states and employs more than 75,000 employees.
“The implementation of ERP will give us access to more data, which will, in return, allow us to make more informed decisions across multiple areas of the company,” says Knoop.
Knoop’s previous leadership roles in Hy-Vee’s auditing, accounting and administration departments over her more than 20-year career make her the ideal leader for the project. Her extensive knowledge of the inner workings of the company will be critical in guiding the design of the system and future processes of the company. The core team working on ERP includes individuals from all areas of the company, including IT, data, retail operations, supply chain and more.
According to Knoop, the ERP system will be rolled out over the next several years in a three-phase process. Knoop and her team are currently focused on the first phase, which will advance the company’s financial processes.
“This first phase is really setting the foundation for many of the future operational changes that will come later in the project,” says Knoop. “We’re currently focused on ensuring that the decisions we make now will serve the current needs of the company and support Hy-Vee’s growth for the future.”
Knoop and her team designed the ERP system to efficiently and effectively adapt to Hy-Vee’s evolving business model, which can include anything from new store openings to store remodels to new-format launches, and more.
Several of Hy-Vee’s subsidiaries will also be integrated into the ERP platform, including Hy-Vee’s Wall to Wall Wine and Spirits stores, as well as Perishable Distributors of Iowa (PDI) — a subsidiary that delivers fresh, frozen and prepared foods to all of Hy-Vee’s retail stores.
“ERP will advance our capabilities as a retailer and transform our operations so we can become faster, smarter and stronger,” says Knoop.
Senior Vice President and Chief
Merchandising Officer
Rite Aid
PHILADELPHIA — As chief merchandising officer for Rite Aid, Pamela Kohn is responsible for front-end strategies in assortment, innovation, customer presentation and space optimization, pricing, promotions, and private label development.
Her mission, she says, is to “transform and modernize the merchandising organization in order to elevate the Rite Aid customer experience and engagement.”
Kohn’s team has completed a total restructuring of the merchandising organization, enabling better customer focus, higher effectiveness, more ownership, improved execution and new career development opportunities.
The team has implemented many new tools and process changes in space optimization, pricing, promotional effectiveness, category business planning, and data and analytics. It successfully created Rite Aid’s first “in-house” private label organization to allow direct contact with the supplier base and improved cross-functional strategies with merchant partners.
“We have changed old mindsets and taken down the silos between operations, merchandising, marketing and supply chain — allowing for common goals and cross-functional engagement on impactful initiatives,” Kohn says.
The most gratifying parts of her work have included seeing the team “lifting” together and leveraging each other’s strengths and experience, as well as driving change and making a positive impact with customers. It has also been rewarding to have the ability to be creative and deliver innovation that can really help customers’ lives.
Kohn has had the good fortune to work across many different retail industries — including department store, grocery, mass, dollar channel, specialty and now drug store. “This allowed me to develop a holistic customer approach and constantly improve my capabilities,” she says.
Early in her career she was asked to take on a new position that was out of her “comfort zone.” That led to the discovery that she could have a passion for multiple functions — merchandising, operations, supply chain, sourcing and real estate — with work in each area teaching her how to be an even better leader. The varied experiences also taught her “to embrace the opportunity to learn, to enjoy the adventure, and have confidence that you can figure it out and thrive.”
She is proud to have earned a reputation as a “change agent” during her career. “Leading many transformational initiatives allowed me to put my fingerprints on the changes — changes for the company, changes for the customer and changes for the people,” she says.
Kohn was the first woman to be named senior vice president, chief merchandising and marketing officer at Food Lion.
At Walmart, she enabled the Neighborhood Market format to become a viable growth vehicle for the company. She also created the first-ever global food sourcing organization for Walmart, and led the Walmart Southeast Operations division’s disaster recovery efforts following Hurricane Katrina.
Senior Vice President, Chief of Stores for Family Dollar
Dollar Tree
CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Jocelyn Konrad joined Dollar Tree Inc. in October as senior vice president of stores operating under the Family Dollar banner.
Konrad, who earned a bachelor’s in pharmacy from Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science, has three decades of retail pharmacy experience, including 15 years at Rite Aid Corp. and roles at Eckerd Pharmacy and Thrift Drug.
“I couldn’t be prouder of my relatively new role with Dollar Tree and Family Dollar,” she says.
“I’m excited to do what I’ve enabled others to do in all my previous assignments, which is to embrace change, empower leaders at all levels of the organization and recognize that learning is something you continue to foster for yourself and others regardless of how much experience you bring to the job,” she says. “I look forward to using these competencies as part of the transformation at Dollar Tree and Family Dollar.”
She recognizes that learning is something you continue to foster regardless of how much experience you bring to the job.
Throughout her career, Konrad says she’s been privileged to have taken on roles of increasing responsibility.
“Along the way, I’ve experienced many highlights, including working with exceptional teams and mentors, learning from diverse perspectives, and driving impactful initiatives across both retail and health care ecosystems,” she says. “One of the standout projects I led was the development of Rite Aid Health Alliance, an innovative concept that integrated the entire care team to improve health outcomes for polychronic patients. This experience not only showcased my ability to drive change and innovation but also demonstrated my commitment to improving health care delivery.
“I’ve also played a key leadership role in stabilizing teams during unprecedented periods of organizational change, adapted policy and practices during the pandemic, and have been involved in important work related to mergers and acquisitions. These experiences have taught me invaluable lessons about leadership, resilience, and adaptability, as well as how team members can rise to almost any occasion if you empower them to do their best work.”
During the pandemic, Konrad collaborated with industry peers and government agencies to advance COVID testing and vaccine delivery.
“This experience underscored the importance of collaboration and partnership in achieving shared goals,” she says. “Another proud achievement was leading the creation of Rite Care, a solution that transformed how pharmacists cared for their customers. This initiative not only had a positive impact on the business but also highlighted my ability to identify and implement solutions that drive meaningful change.”
Chief Human Resources Officer
Target
MINNEAPOLIS — Melissa Kremer began her Target career in 2005 as a recruiter. In the years since, she has held human resources leadership positions supporting the retailer’s key businesses and also led the key talent functions of recruiting, learning, leadership development, talent management and strategic workforce planning.
Between 2008 and 2017, Kremer was responsible for enabling organizational performance in a succession of areas including merchandising, marketing, digital and enterprise strategy.
In the process, she advanced from manager of HR to vice president of HR, merchandising, strategy and innovation. In 2017, Kremer was appointed senior VP, talent and organizational effectiveness, followed by promotion to her current role in 2019.
Kremer is credited with having played an instrumental role in driving the HR strategies behind Target’s organizational transformation, driving large-scale structural and operational changes and building global HR teams.
“Human connection is ultimately what drives my purpose, and envisioning that connection on an impactful scale is what led me to this career,” Kremer wrote in a post on Linkedin. “As executive vice president and chief human resources officer at Target, I’m grateful for the opportunity to infuse empathetic connection into all aspects of HR for our global team of more than 350,000 team members — from recruitment engagement and development to meaningful benefits.”
Since Brian Cornell took the reins as chief executive officer in 2014, Target has consistently made it a priority to support its team members in a host of ways: raising its entry-level wages; investing in training to provide career paths and advancement opportunities; expanding health benefits; and even giving headquarters employees the flexibility to work in the office or at home — to name just a few.
Target leadership clearly recognizes that its team members, including those on the front line in stores and in the supply chain, are key to its success. And the company’s HR policies have won it widespread recognition.
Last year Target added another honor, being named a Top 100 Employer in the 2023 American Opportunity Index for its leadership in employee investment and career growth. Target ranked 11th overall and second in the retail industry.
“Our team members have played a major role in Target being named one of Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies, 100 Best Companies to Work For and Best Places to Work for Millennials, in addition to one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies,” Kremer wrote.
Senior Vice President, IT Strategy and Planning
Hy-Vee
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — As Hy-Vee’s senior vice president of IT strategy and planning, Jennifer Lambert plays a key role in helping the business leaders connect with technology partners to advance their business objectives.
“Part of my responsibility is understanding the business, and then providing insight into how technology can help achieve the goals that the business is aiming for,” says Lambert. “The second part is delivering on that by ensuring we are using our resources efficiently and managing things like budgets to make sure we accomplish our goals.”
Lambert brings more than 20 years of experience in software development, project management and product management, primarily in health care.
“Although I started my career as a software engineer, I quickly realized that I prefer solving problems and designing solutions more than I like coding,” says Lambert. “I’ve spent a good portion of my career in health care. Now that I’m at Hy-Vee, I’m bringing that experience to health care in a different light.”
Early in her career, Lambert helped design an online booking and referral system for the National Health Service in the United Kingdom, an experience that opened her eyes to the benefits of a system that encourages a proactive approach to health. Further experience with global health care technology company Cerner Corp. prepared Lambert to play a key role in the ongoing expansion of Hy-Vee’s health and wellness services.
“It’s been fun to move into retail but also stay in health,” says Lambert. “I never envisioned myself in retail, but have enjoyed learning the fast-paced, quick to move, very market-influenced sort of business, and applying the same skills that I applied to health care and pharmaceuticals from a standpoint of, ‘How do you understand the problem, how do you think about solving it with technology?’ and then making it real and usable.”
Since joining Hy-Vee in 2022, Lambert has helped strengthen Hy-Vee’s processes surrounding road map planning, operational execution and product management in IT. This has led to significant improvement in Hy-Vee’s ability to define product strategies and features quickly and effectively, leading to faster execution.
Most recently, Lambert spearheaded the rollout of Hy-Vee’s updated loyalty program, Hy-Vee Perks, from the technology side. Lambert and her team developed a digital infrastructure that would provide Perks members with the ability to get special Perks pricing on hundreds of items, in-store and online, as well as other personalized offers. Lambert helped in the development of the workflow design, ensuring the sign-up process was seamless for customers.
AVP, Front Store Strategy & Tranformation
CVS
WOONSOCKET, R.I. — Michelle LeBlanc, AVP of front store strategy and transformation, has been with CVS Health for 20 years with continuous promotion to roles of greater responsibility and leadership. LeBlanc says, “I am a lifelong learner. One of the things I am most proud of in my career is the diversity of experiences I’ve gained across retail — from category merchandising, profit and loss management, and store brand business development to the role I have today.” Her deep understanding of the business landscape and consumer insights elevate the design of CVS Health’s retail strategy. “Our strategy is rooted in customercentric transformation that will fuel growth in the years to come.”
In her recently expanded role, LeBlanc continues to serve as chief of staff to CVS Health’s senior vice president and chief merchant Musab Balbale while leading merchandising analytics. Her new responsibilities include leading the retail strategy and transformation team. “We have a talented team of process owners that develop and implement both short-term and long-term key growth initiatives across our front store, tied to our broader enterprise as well,” says LeBlanc.
In 2023, CVS Health celebrated the one-year anniversary of its current retail strategy focused on elevating its assortment to meet the needs of 5 million daily shoppers as America’s largest neighborhood pharmacy health and wellness destination while making health care more affordable, convenient and engaging for customers in-store and online.
LeBlanc’s passion for her role and team is apparent as she discusses the work they lead. “We sit in this unique space where we get to take data and insights, draw out insights, formulate hypotheses, test and learn against them … and ultimately, we get to take all that and continuously shape and reshape our strategic bets. We get to do that through collaboration across many teams across the organization, and we have a ton of fun while we do it.” With colleague empowerment being essential, LeBlanc notes that the expansion of her role also enhances their ability to connect the dots from storytelling to execution.
“As I think about the year ahead, I’m most excited about our momentum in helping our customers with heart — that’s at our core. Whether someone is picking up a prescription, searching for over-the-counter supplements, grabbing makeup or a gift for a celebration, it’s crucial that we make it as seamless as possible to reach their goals.”
LeBlanc is very proud of her achievements at CVS. “I wouldn’t say my accomplishments are a result I delivered or a project I led; it would be the connections I’ve made. I have so many people that I mentor, formally and informally, who also mentor me right back.”
President, Kroger Health
Kroger
CINCINNATI — Colleen Lindholz is president of Kroger Health, the health care division of Kroger Co. and one of the leading retail health care organizations in the United States.
In that role, she oversees a team of 24,000 associates including pharmacists, nurse practitioners, dietitians and technicians staffing more than 2,200 pharmacies and over 220 clinics in 35 states.
Lindholz, who earned a pharmacy degree from the University of Cincinnati, began her career with Kroger at a high-volume pharmacy in Cincinnati. In 2017 she was appointed president of Kroger Health.
While still a pharmacy intern, Lind-holz concluded that food stores and pharmacies could, in tandem, do much more to improve health than simply filling prescriptions. That realization was the starting point of what has become Kroger’s Food as Medicine strategy, which seeks nothing less than to change the way Americans eat.
During the 2022 White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health, Kroger committed to executing Food as Medicine nationwide.
Last September Kroger Health hosted the first Nourishing Change Summit to continue exploring ways to effect positive change in Americans’ state of health. The event brought together leaders from retail, academia and health organizations focused on food and nutrition to discuss ways to create positive change in Americans’ eating habits.
“We have the unique opportunity to provi,de customers and patients with the resources they need to make healthier food choices and, ultimately, change their health outcomes,” said Lindholz. “The future of health care isn’t volume based, it’s value based and personalized. Building on the foundation of Kroger Health’s industry-leading commitment to Food as Medicine, we are leading thoughtful discussions with a diverse set of leaders who use their broad expertise to create healthier communities.”
During the Emerson Group Industry Day last autumn Lindholz pointed out that Food as Medicine works in collaboration with Kroger’s Zero Hunger, Zero Waste initiative, which achieved a major milestone, donating 3 billion meals by 2025, two years early.
In addition, Kroger Health is tapping into the capabilities of 8451, Kroger’s data analysis subsidiary to bring personalization and digital communication into play to engage with customers about their health and eating patterns.
“In the United States of America, health care is anything but simple,” she said. “So we’re bringing simplification, transparency and personalization, and I’m very excited about it because I believe it’s going to be a catalyst to really move the bar when it comes to health outcomes and lowering the overall cost of care. And cost of care is obviously an issue: We spend more than any other country in the world, $1.2 billion, on health care, yet we are still one of the least healthy countries in the world. So there needs to be somebody to do something about it.”
Chief Financial Officer
GIANT
CARLISLE, Pa. — Rebecca Lupfer was promoted to chief financial officer of the GIANT Co. last October. While most of her career has been spent in finance, her career path and skill sets have been enriched by leadership roles in both merchandising and store operations.
Lupfer joined Ahold USA in 2005 and spent the first 12 years of her career in internal audit, rising through a succession of roles of increasing responsibility, culminating in her appointment as director of internal audit, professional practices and training in July 2016. It was the same month that the merger of parent company Ahold NV and Delhaize Group was completed, heralding big changes for the U.S. operations of both companies.
Her career path and skill sets have been enriched by merchandising and store operations leadership.
“I loved it,” Lupfer recalled in a recent interview. “I was never going to leave internal audit. But things change, and I felt it was a good time in my career to take a different step.”
It was a big step into a core part of the business as portfolio lead for seasonal merchandise. Lupfer acknowledged that she was nervous about leaving her comfort zone in internal audit.
At the beginning of 2018 Lupfer transitioned to GIANT, which had been part of Ahold USA and was now part of the combined operation, Ahold Delhaize USA. She leveraged her financial background to assume a more strategic role as director of merchandise planning.
“I wasn’t a traditional merchant,” she noted. “Most merchants start their careers as a buyer or an analyst and work their way up. My background in internal audit had more to do with strategy, and maybe a different way of thinking.”
After a year, Lupfer was promoted to vice president of center store grocery, and in 2022 she made another big move, this time into store operations as vice president of the Mid-Atlantic division, with responsibility for 100 stores and 17,000 team members across Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia.
However, when the CFO position at GIANT opened up a few months ago, Lupfer realized how passionate she was about working in finance. Her experience in merchandising and operations has enabled her to lead the finance team in a different way, bridging the gap in understanding between the support role played by the finance team and the frontline team members in merchandising and operations. In addition to overseeing the finance function, Lupfer’s responsibilities include real estate, format, strategy, external communications and sustainability.
In addition, Lupfer is passionate about coaching the next generation of leaders in the company. She leads the company’s women’s leadership executive business resource group.
President, CEO
CVS Health
WOONSOCKET, R.I. — In 2024, CVS Health continues to broaden and deepen its ability to build a world of health around every consumer, delivering on the ambitious plan created by president and chief executive officer Karen Lynch.
“We are successfully executing on our strategy to advance the future of health care while unlocking new value for consumers,” said Lynch. “The combination of our businesses, and the key growth areas we have invested in, drive our ability to lower the total cost of care, improve health outcomes and deliver on our commitments to customers, consumers and shareholders.”
The company recently announced CVS Healthspire, a division bringing together the organization’s health services — Caremark, Cordavis, Oak Street Health, Signify Health and MinuteClinic. CVS Healthspire will deliver connected patient care, pharmacy benefits, and innovative provider support solutions in communities across the country. In 2023, CVS Health acquired Signify Health and Oak Street Health, significantly advancing the company’s health services strategy with a focus on primary care, in-home evaluations and provider enablement. These capabilities complement the company’s existing retail health clinics that see 6 million patients every year.
The two deals were the latest steps in the company’s transformation from a drug store chain into a multifaceted health solutions company. Beginning in 2006, the company moved into retail clinics, then into pharmacy benefits management in 2007, followed by health insurance in 2018 with the purchase of Aetna — this is when Lynch, who had been president at Aetna, joined CVS Health. Today, the company is a powerhouse in both health care and retailing — revenue in fiscal 2023 totaled nearly $358 billion, putting CVS Health at No. 6 on the Fortune 500 list.
“We are shaping the future of health care by creating solutions that are convenient and affordable, and that connect care and put the patient at the center.”
The company is combining Oak Street Health centers with CVS Pharmacy locations in selected markets. Two centers opened in Houston and Garland, Texas, in December 2023, with additional locations expected to open in the first half of 2024.
“People want health care with the same convenience and digital options that they have in every other aspect of their life. Many others are offering point solutions that only address some pain points in the health care system. No one is bringing them together in a coordinated way,” Lynch said. “We will be the leader in hyper-local convenience. We’re scaling our capabilities to be a national care delivery provider while delivering care locally.”
Senior Vice President, Field Operations West
CVS
WOONSOCKET, R.I. — Shea Manigo is senior vice president of retail field operations for CVS Pharmacy, where she oversees colleagues in over 5,000 CVS Pharmacy stores across the Western United States. She joined CVS Health during the Target Pharmacy acquisition in 2015 and has served in various roles with increasing scope and responsibility. “I work closely with enterprise partners to develop and deliver on bold strategies that allow us to strengthen our position as the health and wellness authority, increase convenience for our consumers, and evolve our health services to meet the challenging needs of our community. But my constant North Star in my career journey has been the direct connections to our colleagues and consumers. They are the heart of everything we do.”
Consumer and colleague well-being and building consumer loyalty have been driving forces behind Manigo’s career journey. She, along with her field organization and over 200,000 store colleagues, focus on operational excellence, doing everyday things exceptionally well to strengthen brand loyalty.
“Nearly one in three Americans trust CVS Health for some aspect of their health — which is a responsibility and a privilege. And when you think about our retail locations, we open the door, literally and figuratively, to enterprise assets. The interactions with our frontline teams are the foundation of the most important aspect of our brand — trust. To build on that trust, we must listen, and feedback has never been so accessible. So, we are taking what our consumers tell us and actioning ways to improve everyday experiences.”
She notes that one way feedback has driven improvement is with the relaunch of the Extra- Care loyalty program. “The program is designed to make our offerings simpler and enhance the value we deliver for consumers, including an option to receive free same-day delivery with our subscription-based membership, ExtraCare Plus.”
Manigo has made indelible impacts in her time at CVS Health. “I’ve had the opportunity to lead our teams and partners through acquisitions and integrations. Over the years, I’ve had the fortuitous opportunity to be a part of many colleague journeys, which to me is what means the most.”
Manigo, the CVS Health Diversity Management Leadership Council (DMLC) chair, has always been passionate about the role of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in the workplace.
The DMLC is a council of enterprise senior leaders who collaborate to further strategic diversity objectives that began in 2013. “Chairing this council is a passion of mine and, honestly, it’s been an honor to serve in this space.”
Vice President
Merchandising, Fresh
Meijer
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Jenn Martin oversees the Fresh departments at Meijer with the awareness that shoppers’ impressions of the food color their entire experience at the supercenter.
As vice president of fresh merchandising, Martin collaborates with her team members and the retailer’s operations partners to deliver upon the key pillars of freshness, quality and value across Meijer’s produce, deli, bakery, meat, seafood and floral offerings.
“My team does this by offering best-in-class produce quality and assortment by partnering with innovative growers as well as local farmers,” Martin says. “We differentiate by offering a wide variety of meat and seafood, including meat that is still cut in stores, and we stay customer-focused through our ever-growing offerings of ready-to-heat and ready-to-eat products, and excellent own-brand offerings across our deli and bakery departments. We know that our customers value quality and price, and we are pleased that we can offer the best of both to help them feed their families while bringing home innovative solutions.”
Meijer, which opened its first super-center in 1962, became one of the first retailers to bring groceries into the department store setting, launching the now-ubiquitous one-stop shopping experience.
Martin, who joined Meijer in 2012, says her personal mission statement is “to inspire others to be their best, authentic self and see the value in helping those around them.”
Says Martin, “The Fresh team in its entirety has been highly focused on improving our on-shelf availability through working with our vendor partners to drive accountability, apply data and analytics to enhance our assortments, and partner with our operations teams to utilize newer systems and processes to make our shelf more productive. We are pleased with the improvements we have made to ensure we are offering our customers what they want, when they want it, since we know that a customer’s experience in the Fresh department will influence how they feel about their entire shopping experience. Our entire Meijer team has also pivoted to drove omnichannel sales and seamlessly transitioned our rewards program in 2023 to drive even more loyalty and provide greater value to our customers.”
‘We know that our customers value quality and price, and we are pleased that we can offer the best of both.’
Martin delights in being part of a team capable of quickly taking an idea to implementation. “Due to the nimbleness of the team, we’ve had several examples of quick tests into rollouts to drive sales, improve fresh shrink, and contribute to the bottom line, while keeping the customer at the forefront of the decision-making process.”
Divisional Vice President,
Store Operations
Dollar General
GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. — For Julie Martin, Dollar General’s mission of Serving Others might appear simple — “it’s just two words” — but like so many others at the company she believes it’s at the core of everything DG does.
Martin, who joined DG in 2020, said she was drawn by the approachability of upper leadership. “Everyone at Dollar General wants to lock arms and accomplish things together. We are a connected, engaged and down-to-earth team. Despite being a huge organization, DG feels like a small company.”
In her role as division vice president of store operations, she understands the company’s reach, overseeing approximately 2,200 stores in four southeastern states. Martin spends a significant amount of time visiting Dollar General locations and working with regional directors to ensure a positive, and consistent, shopping experience for customers while growing sales. A typical week can include visiting as many as 50 stores.
“I go into stores with the high-level intention of assessing conditions to ensure we’re on track, checking that shelves are stocked and that the store is well maintained. But I’m also there to support the team. I always ask, ‘What can we do to help you? How can I support you?’ ”
While Martin finds it rewarding to clear barriers for her team, her role is more than identifying and solving problems. She’s mindful of the importance of “calling out the good” and giving the store teams credit for their successes and hard work, often highlighting employees’ efforts on the company’s internal communications platform and LinkedIn.
“Recognizing our teams is very meaningful for them. They work hard in our stores, so it’s important to show appreciation. At DG, if you work hard on something, you’re able to see an impact in a relatively short period of time. You can use your voice to impact a metric or sales result, and it makes me proud when I’m able to motivate my team to work on something and we then see the fruits of their labor.”
Beyond keeping shelves stocked, showing positive sales trajectory or demonstrating inventory management skills, Martin shouts out employees’ efforts outside of work as well, highlighting volunteerism efforts and praising those investing in the education of their family and themselves by taking advantage of DG’s zero cost tuition and secondary education reimbursement programs.
Martin is also passionate about supporting her teams through challenges, helping them be more successful in their roles while developing people and giving them opportunities to grow. “I love seeing people do well and advance. I love guiding them and providing opportunities for exposure, networking and advancement.”
Beyond her day-to-day role of overseeing stores and DG teams, Martin leads the company’s SERVE employee resource group, which supports and recognizes military personnel, their families and supporters.
CEO
Walmart International
BENTONVILLE, Ark. — The latest chapter in the story of Kath McLay’s impressive Walmart career began last August, when she was named president and chief executive officer of Walmart International.
McLay replaced Judith McKenna, who retired after six years at the division’s helm. McLay took on the leadership role at International after four years of stunning success as CEO of the Sam’s Club division. During her tenure, Sam’s Club achieved a 43% increase in sales — despite opening no new clubs. The chain also recorded 12 consecutive quarters of samestore sales growth, increased its market share and added millions of new members, all without expanding its store base.
McLay joined Walmart in 2015 as vice president of U.S. finance and strategy after a 14-year career at Australian retailer Woolworths Ltd., and she quickly began building a track record of impressive and varied accomplishments. Her first major assignment was overseeing a set of strategic cross-functional initiatives, dubbed Legacy, that were designed to help drive the transformation of the Walmart U.S. business by creating the first seamless omnichannel shopping experience at scale.
In 2016 she led the redesign of Walmart’s supply chain to create a digitally connected, integrated end-to-end logistics network for the company’s flagship division. Two years later she was named executive vice president of Walmart’s nearly 700 Neighborhood Markets.
McLay takes the reins at International after a recent reshaping of the portfolio.
During her tenure, McKenna had engineered an extensive overhaul of the division that included exiting four under-performing markets: Argentina, Brazil, Japan and the United Kingdom. But her legacy also included a strategic plan to grow to approximately $200 billion in GMV (gross merchandise value) over the next five years and more than double International’s profits. Digital penetration is projected to double during that span as well.
Even with the reduction of markets, McLay now leads a business that is the largest global omnichannel retailer in the world, with 500,000 associates serving 80 million customers a week in 18 countries across the globe.
“Over the last quarter, I’ve been in Mexico, China and India, and just looking at the pace of transformation and the way the teams rise to the challenge to be relevant in those local communities is extraordinary,” she said. “So I've been impressed by the strength of the teams that we have out there and also just really impressed by how they're translating our purpose and mission to save people money so they can live better into being really relevant.”
Executive Vice President, Chief People Officer
Walmart
BENTONVILLE, Ark. — As chief people officer of Walmart, Donna Morris leads a team responsible for attracting, retaining and developing talent for the world’s largest retailer. Her people team supports Walmart’s 2.1 million associates worldwide and plays a leading role in the company’s people-led, tech-powered approach — continuing to put its people first as technology evolves. Under Morris’ leadership, Walmart and Sam’s Club were certified as a Great Place to Work in the U.S. in 2023, and in China and South Africa in 2022 and 2023.
Morris joined Walmart in February 2020 from Adobe, where she had worked for nearly 20 years and served as chief human resources officer and executive vice president of employee experience. A native of Ottawa, Canada, she graduated from Carleton University with a bachelor’s degree in political science. At Adobe, Morris held leadership roles in a company that has been an innovative leader in the digital transformation of work.
This experience equipped her perfectly for her present role at Walmart, where Morris’ team is focused on four core areas supporting associates:
• Driving digital transformation through a commitment to improving the work experience for associates, removing friction and enabling greater access to personalized information by leveraging digital tools.
• Supporting associate growth by providing access to opportunities for all associates to learn new skills, have mobility and grow their career.
• Prioritizing the emotional, physical and financial well-being of associates.
• Building a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace that fosters a sense of belonging for all.
Morris’ work with Walmart led her to being named to the inaugural Forbes Future of Work 50 list, Mass Market Retailer’s Most Influential Women in Retailing, and a Top 100 HR Tech influencer by Human Resource Executive.
She discussed the company’s digital journey during Walmart’s keynote session at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January. The company is focused on providing associates with digital tools that enable them to be more efficient and productive, and free up their time to focus on more human-centric activities such as idea generation, relationship building and strategy formulation.
“The roles, responsibilities and skills of our 2.1 million associates across the globe will continue to change,” Morris said. “They’ll be leveraging technology, but most importantly, our humanity, for impact.”
Examples include an in-house app called Me@Walmart, which enables associates to manage their career, stay informed about their earnings and manage personal finances, and so much more.
Senior Vice President, Pharmacy
Hy-Vee
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Helping patients live healthier lives is Angie Nelson’s top priority. As senior vice president of pharmacy at Hy-Vee, Nelson leads the company’s largest department, which includes more than 275 retail pharmacies across the Midwest.
Throughout her remarkable 23-year career at Hy-Vee, Nelson has spearheaded a number of initiatives to increase health care access and improve patients’ overall health.
Under Nelson’s leadership, Hy-Vee joined the Federal Retail Pharmacy program in 2021 and helped lead COVID-19 vaccination efforts across the Midwest.
“The pandemic really highlighted our pharmacy capabilities and allowed our pharmacists to operate at the top of their license,” says Nelson.
Since the pandemic, Hy-Vee has seen major growth in immunizations for COVID-19, flu and RSV, and has transformed into a vaccination destination for the Midwest. The provider has also leveraged its fleet of mobile health units to bring vaccinations to communities and workplaces.
To support the increased pharmacy demand, Nelson established a pharmacy technician apprenticeship in 2021 that allows pharmacy technicians to become certified to provide immunizations. This program not only helps employees advance in their career but also helps attract job applicants to the company, says Nelson.
In recent years, Nelson and her team have added more health and wellness services to Hy-Vee pharmacies, including over-the-counter hearing aids, talking prescription labels, online vaccination scheduling and prescription text message notifications.
Nelson also oversees Hy-Vee’s six regional pharmacy fulfillment centers, which support Hy-Vee’s pharmacies by filling prescriptions and reducing administrative tasks. This enables Hy-Vee’s pharmacy staff to turn their time and focus to serving patients and operating at the top of their license. Through the fulfillment centers, Nelson also has launched pharmacy mail order services, shipping prescriptions to patients across the U.S.
Most recently, Nelson spearheaded Hy-Vee’s newest partnership with Soda Health to launch a new Smart Benefits program that allows Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and other benefit recipients to receive personalized health and wellness benefits across all Hy- Vee locations. As part of this program, Nelson is combining forces with Hy-Vee’s dietitian team to help individuals learn how to manage their health through nutrition and preventative measures like biometric screenings.
“We are looking at our patients’ health more broadly by combining our resources as a grocer and a pharmacy to help our patients in their journey to better health,” says Nelson.
Senior Vice President of Digital
Customer Experience
Albertsons Cos.
BOISE, Idaho — Albertsons Cos. is winning recognition these days for providing superlative digital and ecommerce experiences , and much of the credit for these achievements goes to Jill Pavlovich, senior vice president of digital customer experience, and her team.
Pavlovich joined Albertsons Cos. in her current role in 2021, taking responsibility for the company’s digital product strategy and management of the mobile app, in-store kiosks and website. “I deeply and passionately believe that my mission is to take the chore out of food for our customers,” she said in a recent interview. “This includes everything from planning to shopping, managing health and wellness and more. We aim to continue building a rich omnichannel ecosystem of tools that eases and even removes this burden so people can spend more time doing what they love.”
A good indicator of the direction she has set for Albertsons Cos. are the digital enhancements to the company’s Meal Plans tool unveiled last September. The Meal Plans tool offers thousands of recipes spanning breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert that can be filtered by dietary preference, food restrictions and serving size. New recipes are added to the Meal Plans and Recipes tool each month.
Among the latest enhancements are a budget tracker that allows customers to specify a total weekly budget, a total number of meals and total number of servings ahead of recipe selection. As recipes are added to the Meal Plans tool, the cost of ingredients is deducted from the overall budget so shoppers can view the total meal price and cost per serving.
This kind of innovation won Albertsons Cos. recognition by the Baymard Institute as one of the top 1% in e-commerce user experience (UX). The company was the only traditional grocery retailer to receive the award. Pavlovich and her team also earned an e-commerce award from the Ipsos Report that acknowledged their top performance within the grocery retail segment.
She believes passionately that her goal is ‘to take the chore out of food for our customers.’
“What really brings our team joy and inspiration are the comments and feedback we get from customers and associates about how digital features such as our meal planning programs have saved them time, or how our in-store tools have helped them to easily find products,” Pavlovich said. “As a leader, I’m also tremendously proud of seeing my team grow and evolve as receive this validation from our customers.”
Pavlovich is a firm believer in getting out from in front of the computer screen and walking the stores to connect with frontline associates and customers. “It’s important for a leader to go into the stores and learn from associates and customers by spending time with them,” she said.
Executive Vice President and
Chief Customer and Experience Officer
CVS
WOONSOCKET, R.I. — As chief customer and experience officer of CVS Health, Michelle Peluso leads a culture of consumer-centricity across the company to make health care more convenient and more affordable, and to improve the quality of outcomes for the 100 million consumers who interact with the brand annually.
“Improving the consumer experience drives loyalty, outperforming brand and price combined,” said Peluso. “We’re laser focused on delivering experiences that reinforce our mission — and we are personalized, connected and affordable.”
‘We’re laser focused on delivering experiences that reinforce our mission — and we are personalized, connected and affordable.’
Health care has not been an industry designed around the consumer, and historically orients itself around moments of crisis — a diagnosis, for example. “Our CEO, Karen Lynch, has set a bold strategy that health care has to change, and we need to put the consumer at the center of everything we do,” said Peluso. “To do that, we had to ask ourselves if we truly understand what the consumer wants, and what inspires people to engage in the health care system. We’re taking a broader lens to understand what doesn’t sit well with consumers and, on the other hand, what delights them.”
Using the Net Promoter System (NPS), CVS Health is constantly getting feedback on what’s working, what’s not working, and what must be done to improve. The scale of feedback is important to Peluso and her team, and it’s used to unify the organization around what the consumer wants while driving action on the front lines, creating differentiated experiences and empowering colleagues to drive a culture of consumer-centricity.
“Since we implemented NPS, we receive over 17 million pieces of feedback where people take the time to tell us what they think, during moments that matter across our business,” said Peluso. “This provides us with tremendous insight and informs how we can better serve consumers in every community. We contact those who do not have a positive experience with us and work to make it right, solve their issue and incorporate these solutions into everyday processes.”
A customer-centric approach is nothing new for Peluso. At CVS Health, she previously served as the co-president of CVS Pharmacy. Before joining CVS Health in 2021, she was senior vice president of digital sales and chief marketing officer at IBM, where she was responsible for customer experience, global marketing, digital sales and the commercials business. Earlier in her career, Peluso served as Citigroup’s chief consumer marketing and internet officer. In that role, she oversaw worldwide consumer marketing as well as the company’s digital transformation.
Vice President, Distribution
Dollar General
GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. — Ensuring the on-time delivery of goods is no easy task for any retail location, but for Dollar General, the nation’s fastest-growing retailer by store count with more than 20,000 stores across the U.S. and Mexico, it’s even more of a feat.
As a vice president of distribution, it’s Rebecca Powers’ job to help supply chain teams in her three-state region ensure shelves are stocked and products are delivered to customers on time, every time.
“With such a consistent growth trajectory at DG, it’s important to balance the scope and scale of our logistics from a broader lens. By keeping day-to-day operational tasks consistent, we show our customers that even as our supply chain and store footprint continue to grow, we continue to keep customer value at the forefront of every decision.”
The former U.S. Army logistics officer is no stranger to logistics coordination and navigating challenges as they arise. Despite the challenges, Powers says her goal is the same as DG’s — Serving Others — and she will do whatever it takes to meet customers’ needs.
“I believe our customer is one of the world’s most deserving customers. They’re a lifeblood of this country and we provide a great service to them and their communities, in areas where oftentimes there is no other retail option or service.”
Since joining DG in 2022, Powers has also carried out the company’s mission by serving her fellow employees. As DG’s first female vice president of distribution, Powers feels compelled to offer mentorship to and advocate for other female distribution and logistics leaders at the company.
“Looking across the industry, supply chain is a predominately male field,” she says. “A highlight of my career at Dollar General is the platform it’s offered me to create a path for female leaders to succeed and thrive — not only in supply chain, but across the company and the industry at large. I strive for my work to inspire, support and empower both female leaders and male allies to promote the progression of female leadership in supply chain.”
Beyond leading her teams, Powers’ day-to-day responsibilities include overseeing five distribution centers serving stores in Florida, Alabama and Missouri (with the planned addition of a new distribution center in Little Rock, Ark.). She devises the strategy and delivers the resources distribution teams need to get goods where they belong, when they’re scheduled to be there.
“It’s a constant orchestration of people and parts, making sure everyone’s playing to the same beats — tracking pace, timing hand-offs, managing workflow and checking on-the-ground plans so all the pieces come together to create the seamless symphony of DG’s distribution.”
Senior Vice President,
Merchandising for Family Dollar
Dollar Tree
CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Bonita Price is senior vice president of merchandising for the Family Dollar unit of Dollar Tree Inc., where she is responsible for the strategic direction of the company’s nonconsumables businesses across some 7,900 stores.
Price oversees the brand’s discretionary categories, including home, general merchandise, seasonal and apparel.
“My mission is to help our customers ‘do more’ by making it easier and less expensive to shop in our stores,” she explains. “My team and I strive to give customers more time to spend with their families by making it more convenient to shop in our stores, and we aim to provide ways for them to purchase more everyday essentials for their families by providing incredible value. I’m most proud of the work our teams have done to build more diverse product assortments that reflect the diverse community of customers we serve every day.”
Price joined the company in 2018 as vice president and general merchandise manager for Family Dollar’s apparel business, where she led a business transformation that is credited for improving the unit’s sales, profitability and inventory turnover.
Price says her passion for developing high-quality, affordable products for customers in underserved communities is what has motivated her throughout a career in value retailing that spans more than a quarter-century.
Previous retail experience includes positions at Payless Shoe Source, Ashley Stewart and TJX. Price earned her bachelor’s degree in finance from Fairfield University.
“One of the biggest highlights of my career thus far is all the incredibly talented people I have had the privilege of working with over the years who have challenged and guided me to be a better merchant and leader,” she says. “Some of these business relationships, especially those that I developed early in my career, have evolved into long lasting friendships that I cherish today. In turn, one of the lessons I learned early on that continues to be valuable today is to be open to networking. Meeting new people and learning from them has helped me evolve into the businesswoman that I am today.”
In addition to her primary responsibilities at Dollar Tree, Price is member of the company’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council and chairs its customer committee.
Additionally, she serves as executive sponsor of an associate resource group supporting African American associates, and she also sits on the board of trustees for the Southeast region of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
National Health and Wellness
Director
Kroger Health
CINCINNATI — Laura Raney’s career at Kroger Co. spans more than 30 years, starting in 1991 as an assistant pharmacy manager in Knoxville, Tenn. She currently is a national health and wellness director for Kroger Health.
At present Raney is on special assignment as the national director leading a major Kroger Health initiative, Project Passion, which she described as providing a springboard for the retailer’s pharmacists to explore their passion for the profession, serving patients, leading high-performing teams and fostering a pharmacy culture that embodies the Kroger Health vision and mission. The project, she said in a recent interview, is a holistic approach to supporting Kroger Health’s pharmacists and pharmacy teams that goes well beyond training to address matters such as associate well-being, recognition, connection, leadership development, communication and ways of working and learning.
“Our objective is to support pharmacists who are clinically strong and great with patients, lead awesome teams, run strong pharmacy operations and live out the Kroger purpose and Kroger Health vision and mission every day,” she explained. “I’m responsible for working with others to create content and experiences that support this approach through activities like on-site meetings, pharmacy team gatherings, leadership development, huddles and opportunities for pharmacy managers to be selected to attend industry events.”
The initial Project Passion sessions launched in 2022 and continued through August 2023 across 19 divisions covering the entire country. Raney pointed out with pride that the program continues to evolve and offer ongoing opportunities that positively impact more than 6,000 pharmacists, and 2,037 pharmacies and pharmacy teams.
Raney’s career began in the pharmacy but has since introduced her to broader aspects of health care. In 2002 she was appointed senior account manager of Kroger Prescription Plans Inc., the retailer’s pharmacy benefits manager. Six years later she was named manager of pharmacy government relations, followed by nearly five years as manager of pharmacy regulatory relations, leading third-party contracting and regulatory compliance. In late 2013, she was named division health leader for Kroger’s Nashville Division, where she led health and wellness initiatives. She was promoted to national health and wellness director in 2018.
Over the course of her career, Raney has learned a number of valuable lessons, including:
Senior Vice President,
Amber Specialty Pharmacy
Hy-Vee
OMAHA — Since joining Hy-Vee Inc. in 2015, Jessica Ringena’s career has included a remarkable trajectory in leadership positions across multiple areas of the company, including finance, technology and health care.
Most recently, Ringena was named president of Amber Specialty Pharmacy, a subsidiary of Hy-Vee that specializes in providing personalized care to patients living with chronic, complex conditions. Prior to that, she served as president of Vivid Clear Rx, Hy-Vee’s pharmacy benefit manager, serving members across the U.S.
What’s been most unique about her career at Hy-Vee are the opportunities to get involved in different spaces.
“What’s been most unique about my career at Hy-Vee are the opportunities I’ve had to get involved in so many different spaces,” says Ringena.
Ringena’s career has covered a variety of roles, including senior vice president of finance and business strategy, and senior vice president and chief digital officer — to name two. In 2022, Ringena was tapped to lead the newly established Vivid Clear Rx.
As a pharmacy provider for more than 50 years, Hy-Vee, like many pharmacies, had witnessed firsthand the opaque practices of traditional PBMs and their impact on rising health care costs.
“We knew we could do things differently, which is why we created Vivid Clear Rx,” says Ringena.
Under Ringena’s leadership, Vivid Clear Rx was positioned as a different type of PBM, featuring a transparent pass-through model with no spread pricing. It continues to gain rapid market share in the industry and, in 2023, was awarded the Excellence Award in Care Management from the Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute for its commitment to cost transparency and superior member service.
As Ringena now takes the reins at Amber Specialty Pharmacy, she is leveraging her previous roles and experiences to help grow the specialty pharmacy across the industry and connect it further with Hy-Vee’s other health care offerings to improve patients’ overall health. Amber Specialty Pharmacy specializes in transplant, infusion and specialty care, including rare/orphan drugs and oncology, and Ringena will be focused on integrating technology solutions to help enhance the health care outcomes for patients.
Additionally, Amber Specialty Pharmacy serves as the preferred specialty pharmacy for Vivid Clear Rx members, and Ringena plans to continue strengthening that partnership to bring more personalized care to patients.
“What’s really unique about Amber Specialty Pharmacy is our white-glove approach,” says Ringena. “I’m excited to dive in and continue to grow in that space, because I think that’s what’s going to tie it all together with the other health care offerings at Hy-Vee.”
Executive Vice President,
Chief Merchandising Officer
Albertsons Cos.
BOISE, Idaho — Jennifer Saenz, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer at Albertsons Cos., says she spends a great deal of time thinking about the retailer’s shoppers and “all of the special things that make us distinct in the marketplace.”
Since joining Albertsons Cos. in 2021, Saenz has overseen national merchandising, marketing, insights, loyalty, data commercialization and the grocer’s Own Brands portfolio, which includes popular lines such as O Organics, Open Nature and Lucerne as well as more recent innovations including Signature Select’s Mix + Match meal solutions.
“What’s exciting about this new line of frozen entrees, sides and veggies is that they can cook together in one standard oven at 375 degrees for about 35 minutes,” Saenz says. “This is such a great solution for busy families who need simple, delicious dinners without time-consuming prep and clean-up.”
Much of what’s she’s learned about product development comes from “embracing mistakes, internalizing lessons and working toward solutions,” she says. “Earlier in my career as a first-time director, I led a brand that had a very challenging year. Our collective team was so excited about the promise of an innovation that we rushed the product to market and made a huge bet. It was too fast, too soon. Then, as it turned out, the prototype we tested and the commercial product that was produced were completely different, and it failed miserably. We pursued a strategy that looked incredible on paper but, in reality, it ignored critical insight on consumer experience and the role of our product in people’s lives.”
Adds Saenz, “Another significant lesson that I learned early in my career and my advice to really anyone is: Wherever you work, seek out the people with the very best reputations for developing people and work hard to be part of their team. I found managers and mentors who were truly invested in me and guided me to accelerate my own development by helping me develop critical thinking skills and encouraging me to take reasonable risks that built my confidence and develop my own skills as a leader.”
‘This is a great solution for families who need simple, delicious dinners without time-consuming prep.’
The job also has its unique and fun moments. Saenz recently worked with YouTube personality and digital creator MrBeast on “Survive in a Grocery Store,” challenging a contestant to see how many days he can live inside a Safeway grocery store. The challenge raised $450,000 in groceries and other merchandise for local charities.
Executive Vice President,
Chief Merchandising Officer
Target
MINNEAPOLIS — In the last several years, Target has reshuffled the top echelon of its merchandising leadership, shifting responsibility for different segments of the retailer’s offerings to its most gifted executives as its business has rapidly evolved.
The most recent reorganization occurred in January, with Jill Sando, who had been named chief merchandising officer for all hard lines and soft lines in 2021, taking leadership of all Target’s discretionary categories, encompassing hard lines, home, apparel and accessories, while Target’s frequency categories, including food, essentials and beauty care, have been assigned to Rick Gomez, who had been chief food and beverage officer.
With this move, Sando resumes direction of the categories that her leadership has transformed with a particularly distinctive flair over the years. The latest example is a collaboration with iconic designer Diane von Furstenberg and her granddaughter, Talita von Furstenberg, to launch an exclusive, limited-time-only Spring collection consisting of more than 200-pieces spanning women’s, girls’ and baby apparel and accessories, plus beauty and home decor, starting at $4, with most items under $50.
The collection also includes, however, made-to-order furniture starting at $300. Offerings include such items as headboards, benches and room dividers that can be customized in one of seven exclusive Diane von Furstenberg for Target fabrics.
Last September, meanwhile, Target unveiled a long-term strategic partnership with fashion-meets-philanthropy lifestyle brand Kendra Scott. The collaboration enables Target to offer its guests quality jewelry and accessories at terrific values.
After beginning her retail career at Yonkers Department Store in Des Moines, Sando joined Target in 1997 as an associate buyer of intimate apparel. In 2000 she was appointed senior buyer, followed in 2003 by promotion to director of merchandise planning.
Two years later, Sando entered the executive ranks when she was elevated to vice president of hard lines product design and development. In 2014 she was named senior vice president of home, with responsibility for re-invigorating the category, which had been identified as one of Target’s five strategically critical categories. Sando’s success in that initiative resulted in her being given responsibility for apparel as well.
In 2020 Target decided to try a new approach to running its complex, multi-category business by naming multiple chief merchants responsible for the different segments of its assortment. Sando was promoted to executive vice president and named chief merchandising officer of style and owned brands. A year later, her portfolio was expanded to include all soft lines and hard lines.
President, CEO
FMI
ARLINGTON, Va. — Leslie Sarasin was named president and chief executive officer of FMI – The Food Industry Association, in 2008, when it was still known as the Food Marketing Institute. In the 15 years since, she has led a remarkable rejuvenation of the organization, which now is an aggressive and effective advocate for a critically important industry. Moreover, FMI is on a growth path, expanding its membership and launching a new nonfoods community to support its members on issues related to the valuable categories of general merchandise, household goods, and health and beauty care.
Last year saw continued progress on a number of fronts, according to Sarasin. Not least important was the membership’s ability to come together to confront challenging issues.
“I am most proud of the way we have been able to assemble a diverse group of companies and individuals across the food industry to share ideas and innovations that improve our mission of providing safe, affordable, accessible and nutritious foods,” she said in a recent interview.
For starters, the association defined six priority issues — labor, food safety, payments, pharmacy/PBM reform, economy and feeding assistance. As a participant in the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health, FMI also committed to the food industry donating 2 billion meals last year, significantly more than it had ever done before.
Sarasin said the association has also made meaningful progress in advocating for changes to make the Food and Drug Administration’s Food Traceability Rule workable. That effort has involved meetings with FDA leadership, inviting officials to the FMI board meeting and taking FDA representatives to a distribution center.
With inflation still on the minds of shoppers, FMI continued its activities to explain food price changes, especially to policy makers, through media briefings, fact sheets, congressional forums and a satellite media tour that included more than 25 interviews in one day.
“There are a variety of external factors that impact costs at various stages of the supply chain that are beyond the control of food retailers, such as energy, labor and transportation,” Sarasin pointed out in responding to one critical report. “After a period of great volatility, we are now starting to see changes in some of these factors flow through to food pricing in 2024. The Department of Agriculture’s own data predicts that food inflation will continue to slow in 2024, decreasing by a projected 0.4%, while restaurant food prices are anticipated to increase 4.7%.”
Finally, last year saw the association expand its membership, adding 21 new retailers/wholesalers and universities/colleges as well as five new product suppliers.
Senior Director,
Pharmacy Administration
Publix
LAKELAND, Fla. — Katie Scanlon is a forceful advocate for pharmacy, with a firm belief that pharmacists are a critical yet underutilized component of health care.
“Pharmacies promote wellness and mitigate cost through medication adherence, immunizations, early detection and screening,” said Scanlon, senior director of pharmacy administration at Publix Super Markets. Pharmacies proved to be the most accessible health care providers during the pandemic, she adds, and in rising to that challenge pharmacies proved their worth to the communities they serve.
Scanlon was hired by Publix as a floating pharmacist in Sandy Springs, Ga., in 2007, the year she graduated from the University of Georgia with a doctor of pharmacy degree. She worked as a pharmacy manager for five years before transitioning to corporate headquarters, where she has served as a clinical pharmacist and contributed to management teams in specialty pharmacy and managed care.
In her current role, Scanlon develops and directs strategy for the pharmacy administration team, with oversight of procurement, managed care, new business, clinical services, technology and data and analytics.
Scanlon last year represented Publix in efforts to win passage of Florida’s Prescription Drug Reform Act, which imposes greater accountability and transparency on pharmacy benefit managers' business practices.
Publix recently honored Scanlon with its 2023 President’s Award, whose recipients are seen as champions for an inclusive workforce and who demonstrate a willingness to allocate the time and resources necessary to develop the best possible Publix leaders.
‘As a team, we celebrate our successes, but we also celebrate our opportunities as a way to continue to learn.’
“I try to lead by example, and I have a lot of trust and faith in my team,” Scanlon said of the recognition. “I wouldn’t ever ask someone to do something I wouldn’t do myself. As a team, we celebrate our successes, but we also celebrate our opportunities as a way to continue to learn.”
In honoring Scanlon, her employer cited her commitment to communicating with transparency, and with clearly defined criteria for organizational advancement so all team members understand how to succeed and advance in their careers.
For Scanlon, the award highlights the importance of hiring and promoting diverse candidates to her management group. “Our communities are made up of diverse populations, so it is inherently important our team is diverse to ensure we’re looking at things from different perspectives,” she said. “Thinking about others’ viewpoints allows us to provide a higher quality of service and a richer experience for the communities we serve.”
Vice President, Merchandising
Walmart
BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Vinima Shekhar, vice president of merchandising for wellness at Walmart, is responsible for developing and implementing the retailer’s wellness strategies, with a focus on expanding access to affordable health and wellness products and services.
A major initiative in promoting wellness is Walmart’s annual Wellness Days and the New Year New You campaign, which most recently was held in January across more than 4,600 Walmart stores and pharmacies as well as on walmart.com. In stores, there are a host of wellness services offered, including free health screenings, affordable immunizations, demonstrations and sampling of wellness products such as digestive and nutritional supplements and vitamins. For Shekhar, this event provides a chance for customers to explore the different ways Walmart can help them on their H&W journey in a connected and affordable way. And it’s a great day also to connect with associates and customers in stores, as she makes it a point to be on site.
Shekhar joined Walmart in 2018 as e-commerce merchandising manager and was promoted to director in a year, expanding her scope and team. Her portfolio was extraordinarily broad, encompassing category strategies and analytics, channel management, including Walmart’s third-party marketplace, site merchandising, marketing, supplier negotiations, assortment discipline and digital traffic optimization.
In September 2020, Shekhar was appointed senior merchandising director of directed spend for fintech (financial technology), leading a new and emerging space within Walmart. This position gave her a leadership role on a key enterprise initiative, building new capabilities and a financial platform dedicated to helping businesses and customers use Walmart as their destination for wellness benefits.
Shekhar continues to be closely involved in Walmart’s digital evolution, leading the first digital supplier summit earlier this year, and last fall she shared some of the most significant developments and achievements during the Emerson Group Industry Day.
“Our customers don’t think of us as two different brands, in-store versus online,” she said. “They want to engage with our Neighborhood Markets, they want the excitement of the Supercenter, and they want the convenience of the store closest to them, which is the one in their pocket. Our single app experience is continuously improving, and earlier this year we completely revamped our homepage to make exploring our full assortment easier and more inspirational for our customers … what’s really exciting about this is that we’re combining the power of technology with our network of physical stores.”
A vital element in this evolution has been Walmart’s massive supply chain investments. Much of that investment, Shekhar pointed out, has been devoted to people-centric automation and systems powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to create a supply chain that is more connected and has greater capacity and faster, more accurate fulfillment.
Chief Sustainability Officer
Dollar Tree
CHESAPEAKE, Va. — As chief sustainability officer for Dollar Tree Inc., Jennifer Silberman oversees corporate citizenship and ESG for the company and its more than 16,000 Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores in the United States and Canada.
Sustainability is about taking care of future generations while addressing the needs of today, she says, and it’s a responsibility that requires a dynamic approach and an organization’s full commitment.
“Simply stated, my mission is to make sustainability accessible, affordable and equitable,” Silberman says. “Often the notion of sustainability in retail is only associated with privileged choices and economic opportunity. Knowing we serve a value-conscious shopper, we have an incredible opportunity to redefine what value means to our customers. We are creating a retail destination where our customer’s choice to shop with us yields positive environmental and social benefits, not only for her and her family, but for the broader community and planet.”
Silberman joined Dollar Tree in 2022 as a dynamic and collaborative leader with experience working for brands including Nike, Hilton, YETI and Target.
“I’m most passionate about human and women’s rights, responsible sourcing, climate justice and ensuring equitable access to products and services that are good for people and the planet,” she says. “Throughout my career, I have learned the importance of approaching each challenge with a curiosity mindset, building strong and authentic relationships, and being open to evolve my thinking and even changing my mind as new information is presented.”
Silberman says the most rewarding aspects of her role at Dollar Tree are the diversity of people with whom she collaborates and the opportunity to have a positive impact on people’s lives. “Sustainability at its core should reinforce the purpose of an organization and the role it can play in making society better.”
Adds Silberman, “There is incredible transformational work happening across the Dollar Tree and Family Dollar enterprise. To me, the greatest strength of our company is the 200,000-plus associates who work in our stores, our distribution centers and at our corporate headquarters, known as our store support center. It’s through our people that we can bring value to thousands of communities across the country, and my goal is to have been seen as a positive force. We want to continue to ensure our customers have easy and affordable access to our products and services; create opportunities for our associates to grow and thrive; and to build resilience in our supply chain.”
Chief Pharmacy Officer
Rite Aid
PHILADELPHIA — Karen Staniforth began her pharmacy career in 1982 in Johannesburg, South Africa, 8,000 miles from Rite Aid Corp.’s headquarters.
Though she is now chief pharmacy officer at Rite Aid, she never thought she’d actually become a pharmacist when she was younger. She had a Saturday morning job in a pharmacy selling perfume in high school but never saw herself dispensing medications. After finishing high school she was accepted to the Technikon Witwatersrand pharmacy school in 1979 only after losing a bet with her father that she would never be accepted. Notwithstanding her skepticism about her suitability for pharmacy studies, “Off I went and loved it,” she said.
Staniforth began working at Rite Aid in Seattle as a graduate intern in 1998 after moving to the United States. All of the roles she’s held since then have taught her that it is people that matter — coworkers and patients — regardless of the setting.
She said her experience as a pharmacist in South Africa has given her a different perspective on her approach throughout her career. “Ultimately though, people around the world are remarkably similar, and while their circumstances may vary, their core health needs are the same,” she said, noting that, regardless of geography, people want access to quality medical advice and treatment, including vaccines, and pharmacists are uniquely positioned to provide those needs.
Throughout its operating area, Rite Aid’s commitment to providing convenient access to expanded clinical services is exemplified by the new dedicated Vaccine Center stores providing everyone an opportunity to walk in or schedule an appointment to get the vaccinations they need to protect themselves against the flu, COVID-19, RSV and other viruses, along with additional clinical services and advice.
“As a retail pharmacy deeply rooted in community care, our priority is to ensure our customers have convenient access to the essential immunizations they require at a time that best aligns with their lifestyle,” said Staniforth. “With the whirlwind of life and busy schedules, our dedicated pharmacists in these stores offer a seamless solution, empowering customers to proactively prioritize their health and safeguard their families year round.”
She also commented last year that there will always be a place for brick-and-mortar pharmacies: “Online companies will never be able to replace the service that we provide directly to our patients and customers. Immunizations have to be given in person, and our customers want someone they trust to provide that care. People talk about their relationship with their pharmacist, and nothing can replace that human connection.”
Senior Vice President,
Government and
External Relations
Albertsons Cos.
BOISE, Idaho — Marie Sylla-Dixon was named senior vice president of government and external relations for Albertsons Cos. last March. In this role, she is responsible for leading and advancing Albertsons Cos.’ public policy agenda and communicating externally with policy makers, regulators, NGOs and external stakeholders.
Sylla-Dixon brings to her role more than 25 years of experience in government relations; communications; public affairs; and diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I). She has been recognized by Savoy magazine as one of the Most Influential Women in Corporate America. She was awarded Top Lobbyist of the Year by the Washington Government Relations Group. Before joining Albertsons Cos., she served as global chief diversity officer for Raytheon Technologies (RTX), where she led the strategy and implementation of the company’s Pillars for Action to advance DE&I across the enterprise and externally through programs and initiatives focused on workforce, community and employee engagement; public policy; and supplier diversity.
Prior to RTX, Sylla-Dixon spent more than 10 years with T-Mobile, where she served as vice president of government and external affairs, with responsibility for developing and executing the company’s policy agenda on issues including broadband regulation, 5G, AI, Smart Communities, privacy, cybersecurity, and wireless spectrum and led it,s public affairs engagement in helping to tell its story on closing the digital divide with community partners and NGOs.
Sylla-Dixon pointed out that by serving as a bridge between the businesses she has represented and key policy makers and regulators, she has helped shape policies and regulations that have impacted not only the individual companies, but industries as a whole. “It’s truly special when you can influence policies that can have positive impact on the communities you serve, whether it’s on food insecurity, sustainability, health care equity or digital equity,” she said in a recent interview.
Working in retail, Sylla-Dixon added, has taught her the importance of staying informed on the latest technology and sustainability trends . That knowledge has enabled her to advocate effectively not only for Albertsons Cos. but for the retail industry.
In addition, she noted, a major part of her role is sharing with external stakeholders Albertsons Cos.’ story of being a mission- and purpose-driven company and how it makes a difference in the communities it serves, whether it is the value its pharmacies add to the health care system or the company’s activities to combat food insecurity and food waste.
“I’m proud to be a part of a company that is on the front lines of important social and health issues,” she said. “Our focus on food as medicine and promoting healthy outcomes for our customers is a testament to our commitment to making a real difference in people’s lives. I’m proud to work for an organization that aligns with my values, has incredible associates and allows me to make a meaningful impact in the world.”
Executive Vice President,
Chief Guest Experience Officer
Target
MINNEAPOLIS — Like her colleague Christina Hennington, Cara Sylvester brought a highly impressive resumé when she joined Target in 2007. Like Hennington, she had earned an MBA degree from the prestigious Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and she joined Target from the consulting world, having worked at Deloitte Consulting in Chicago for six years.
Not surprisingly, then, her first position at Target was senior manager of corporate strategy, but in 2009 she transitioned to the merchandising team, starting out as grocery buyer of warm beverages. Three years later she moved up to senior buyer of beauty, skin care, bath and fragrance, and in 2014 was appointed senior buyer of housewares, focusing on storage and organization items.
In 2017 Sylvester moved into the executive ranks when she was promoted to vice president of beauty and dermstore. In that role, she led the launch and evolution of Target’s Beauty Concierge program, a high-touch service model that was the first of its kind among mass retailers. Another promotion, to senior vice president of merchandising for home, followed in 2019. Sylvester was credited with driving significant sales and market share gains in a strategically key category, as well as increasing Target’s digital penetration.
Two years later, Sylvester was named executive vice president and chief marketing and digital officer, which positioned her to play a major role in shaping Target’s omnichannel shopping experience. In May 2022 she was appointed to the new role of chief guest experience officer.
That role was designed to lead to the creation of strategies to further differentiate Target’s guest experience, with a focus on increasing personalization and attracting new shoppers to Target’s stores, website and award-winning app.
Her current position encompasses a broad range of responsibilities, including marketing, media and creative strategy for Target Circle, the retailer’s loyalty program; Roundel, its in-house media company; and e-commerce. In addition, Sylvester leads Target’s enterprise technology systems, data analytics and business intelligence strategy.
Last December Sylvester described Target’s approach to the customer experience in a blog post on the company’s website:
“We use the same ingredients as other retailers to create our guest experience — assortment, stores, digital, marketing — but we blend them in a way no one else can,” she wrote. “We bring you products you’ll only find at Target; ones that are on trend, work with any budget, and are designed to make you smile. We invite discovery and inspiration, whether you’re walking an aisle or scrolling our app. We sweat the details, knowing it’s the small things that make a huge difference. And we also think big, always reimagining and reinventing to give you an experience that makes you say, ‘I love shopping at Target.’ These are the touches that set us apart, deepen relationships and grow our business.”
Chief Clinical Trials Officer
Walgreens
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens’ chief clinical trials officer Ramita Tandon has dedicated her professional life for more than 25 years to transforming the drug development life cycle through innovative applications and unconventional business models.
“Early in my career, I developed my passion and purpose,” Tandon says. “I am fiercely passionate about equity and accessibility for the health of our patients. We saw firsthand during COVID 19 the positive impact nontraditional channels, like retail pharmacy, had on our communities to receive the vaccinations.”
In 2022, Tandon spearheaded the launch of the Walgreens Real World Evidence Clinical Trials business, marking a significant milestone in her career. This initiative aims to revolutionize how clinical trials are brought to communities, focusing on increasing patient access and equity in drug development. Her leadership in this venture demonstrates her commitment to making a meaningful impact on patients and communities through clinical research.
“The business has a clear mission and purpose to increase patient access and equity in drug development,” Tandon says. “The impact clinical research has on patients and our communities fuels my passion to continue showing up every day.”
As chief clinical trials officer, Tandon drives growth for Walgreens’ clinical trials business. The team is responsible for efficiently matching patients with clinical trials, emphasizing the inclusion of traditionally underrepresented populations in the drug development process.
“Our team is grounded in our mission to match patients with clinical trials quickly and efficiently, ensuring that traditionally underrepresented populations are now an equal part of the detection, diagnosis and drug development process,” she says. “We are committed to the communities we serve and the estimated 95% of the U.S. population that doesn’t participate in clinical research because of varying challenges.”
Tandon takes pride in her team’s achievements, including signing over 35 contracts that have made clinical trials more accessible to a broader segment of the U.S. population. Under her guidance, Walgreens has successfully engaged underrepresented people in clinical trials, exceeding U.S. averages for clinical trial participation among Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino patients.
Tandon finds immense satisfaction in increasing representation in clinical trials for underrepresented groups nationwide. Her efforts in women’s health and increasing the representation of women in clinical research have been particularly impactful. Since the launch of the Real World Evidence Clinical Trials business, 60% of the patients contacted for clinical trial participation have been women.
President
Hy-Vee
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — In 2022, Donna Tweeten was promoted to president of Hy-Vee Inc., becoming the first woman to hold that position at the 94-yearold company.
Tweeten has steadily ascended the executive ladder since she came to the company’s corporate office in 2006 as assistant vice president of communications. In her tenure at the Midwest-based grocer, Tweeten has overseen the emergence of Hy-Vee’s image, blending food, health and lifestyle to become a leading brand in the retail grocery space.
As president, Tweeten oversees marketing; merchandising; Hy-Vee’s retail media network, RedMedia; and private brands; as well as customer care, corporate communications, and celebrity and sports partnerships.
In an industry where males overwhelmingly dominate leadership roles, Tweeten’s success has been exceptional. She credits Hy-Vee’s leadership, particularly Hy-Vee executive chairman Randy Edeker, with having made it a priority to elevate more women to senior executive positions.
“I’m very proud to be in an organization that understands the value of having a female perspective at the table at all times, no matter the topic,” says Tweeten. “It clearly makes sense when you think about the fact that the majority of our customer base happens to be female.”
Tweeten considers mentoring other women a serious responsibility and focuses on helping them navigate different challenges, such as work-life balance.
“Women are taught that you have to climb that ladder as fast as you can, but that’s not necessarily true,” says Tweeten. “I always coach women through that — becoming a parent doesn’t mean that they’re stepping off the ladder. I tell them, ‘Know you’re still on it, but understand you have to be patient and maintain your self-confidence.’ ”
Looking back on the time that she has been president, Tweeten can point with pride to several notable achievements, such as the evolution of Hy-Vee’s innovative loyalty programs and the launch of Seasons TV (originally Helpful Smiles TV), the first launch by a retailer of a streaming edutainment/entertainment network. In addition, the company has launched its own retail media network, RedMedia, which has already won praise as one of the top five retail media networks in the industry.
But her greatest source of pride, and the reason she has remained with Hy-Vee for so long, is the company’s core values.
“The mission that we have of making people’s lives easier, healthier and happier always guides every single decision that’s made from a board room perspective,” says Tweeten. “It also guides every decision made at retail. It’s just ingrained in our culture.”
Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer
Rite Aid
PHILADELPHIA — Rite Aid chief marketing officer Jeanniey Walden has had a diverse career — from graduating with a teaching degree to entering the world of business and ad agencies to being an entrepreneur, leading B2B and B2C marketing strategies and more.
She says she has been fortunate to be a part of many pivotal moments including starting the first email marketing division of a global ad agency in 2000; launching the first digital newsstand app on the iPad in 2008; starting a nationally syndicated TV show in 2022; and transforming and rebuilding the brand at one of America’s most loved retail pharmacies.
She adds that she is fortunate to have learned an incredible amount throughout her career, with the biggest lessons including:
Walden is currently in a fascinating dual role at Rite Aid, with her primary responsibility being the marketing chief. “In this role, I am responsible for developing and leading the brand strategy for the business while simultaneously partnering with my peers on our merchandising and pharmacy teams to create an experience that attracts and delights our customers to provide access to key health services when and how they need it,” she says. “My secondary role is super sweet, literally: I oversee the Thrifty ice cream business, which is owned by Rite Aid. We consider it a hidden gem and cult classic. My role with Thrifty is to create and execute a strategy that enables our business to expand beyond the doors of Rite Aid.”
Recently the company created and launched a new ad campaign that shows why It Means More at Rite Aid. The concept was particularly rewarding for Walden’s team as it’s all about showing the commitment to customers, celebrating authentic connections and shining a light on the team’s incredible dedication and positive impacts. “Our employees’ unwavering commitment to continuously make a meaningful impact inspires our customers to choose us for their whole health needs and everyday essentials,” says Walden. “We wanted to acknowledge and celebrate this, which is why we chose to feature our employees in the new ad spot.”
What she loves most about her current position is the people she gets to work with on a daily basis: “Not just those within Rite Aid and Thrifty working teams, but also our field associates who do everything they can to ensure our customers know it means more every time someone chooses to walk through our doors.”
Senior Vice President,
Merchandise Operations, Food
Walmart
BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Annie Walker is a 21-year veteran of Walmart, having joined the retailer in 2002 soon after graduating from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) with a B.S. degree in industrial engineering. As senior vice president of merchandise operations for food, Walker and her team work directly with suppliers. She has responsibility for replenishment, assortment analytics, modular execution, and financial planning for food in Walmart US.
In a recent interview while participating in the annual Emerson Group Industry Day, Walker described the conversation as Walmart works with its suppliers to create innovation and value for the customer. “Save Money, Live Better” is one of the coolest things we can rally around as a company on what our true mission is for customers,” she said. “I think it’s really important for our suppliers to be thinking always with a customer-first mentality. We need our supplier community to be thinking creatively on how we create value for customers.”
That, she says, means looking for opportunities to create efficiencies, and thinking through solutions.
“It’s about going deeper, about thinking creatively, and looking at where the customer is headed,” she elaborated. “It’s about how do we create innovation and make it a truly customer-centered conversation as we move forward together.”
That approach, not surprisingly, clearly reflects Walker’s engineering background, which secured her initial position with Walmart as an industrial engineer. “In industrial engineering, you study efficiency and productivity, and you’re always trying to improve and enhance things,” she explained. “So, it was a perfect match with Walmart.”
While friends were puzzled that she interviewed with a retailer, given her academic specialty, Walker immediately fell in love with the Walmart culture and the people whom she met. As she began to see the complexity of retailing and the importance of supply chain, Walker saw a great opportunity for a career in the industry.
Walmart is people led, tech powered. In advancing and supporting this culture, Walker has recently stepped onto the President’s Inclusion Council to continue to further, lead and influence the company’s belonging culture, ensuring that everyone is included. Walker also leads the Women’s Officer Caucus, supporting the development of current and future leaders at the company.
One of the things about Walmart she values most is the enormous range of career opportunities available, and she has this advice for those considering a career there: “One, align what you’re passionate about and what you’re really good at,” she said. “When you align those two things, you’ll be incredibly powerful in what you do.”
Walker has held a variety of roles from merchandising to engineering, merchandise operations and visual merchandising. Walmart is a place where diversity of careers and growth can be achieved.
Chief Merchant
Walmart
BENTONVILLE, Ark. —Latriece Watkins assumed the role of chief merchandising officer at Walmart U.S. last May, marking a significant milestone in a career spanning nearly a quarter-century at the renowned retailer.
“Those of you who have worked with Latriece know she is a merchant at heart and has a talent and passion for developing future leaders,” John Furner, president and chief executive officer of Walmart U.S., wrote in an internal memo announcing her promotion. “Her enthusiasm, talent and deep experience helped establish the omni merchandising strategy we have today, and her focus on customers and members will only strengthen our position in the future.”
Watkins’ journey at Walmart began as a real estate intern while attending law school. Upon completing her degree, she accepted a full-time role at the company. Since then, she has ascended through various roles, demonstrating a penchant for leadership and a passion for nurturing future talent.
Before being named chief merchant, Watkins distinguished herself by leading Walmart’s consumables team for seven years — four as senior vice president and three as executive vice president. During this time, Watkins steered the division through a period of sustained growth, even amidst the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The convergence of the omni and stores consumables teams in early 2020, coinciding with the onset of the pandemic, presented Watkins and her team with formidable obstacles, including the challenge of keeping categories like paper products, household cleaning supplies, and over-the-counter medications available despite surges in demand due to panic buying.
The pandemic accelerated the burgeoning e-commerce sector, prompting Walmart to rapidly expand its pickup and delivery network to cater to the demand for contactless shopping.
Watkins has echoed sentiments shared by Walmart chief executive officer Doug McMillon emphasizing that Walmart is “people led and tech powered.” And she remains focused on Walmart’s mission. “Walmart is guided by a very clear purpose — it’s our ‘why’ — and was stated by our founder, Sam Walton,” she said. “It’s to help people save money and live better.”
As the first woman and first person of color to serve as chief merchant at Walmart, Watkins also recognizes the significance of her position, and remains committed to mentoring and empowering others.
“None of us achieve our successes alone,” she said. “The people at Walmart have meant so much to me over the time I’ve been here. They have been a part of important accomplishments and I have seen them support each other in hard times. I’m a customer person, and the fact that I get to do this job, and that my team gets to help do things that make our customers’ lives better is an honor.”
CEO
Wegmans
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — In retiring as president and chief executive officer of Wegmans Super Markets, in 2017, Danny Wegman expressed confidence in the succession plan that elevated his daughter, Colleen, to the corner office.
“The time has come to create a structure for the future that will allow us to remain strong, vibrant and family owned,” he said at the time. In the intervening seven years, Colleen Wegman has overseen an expansion drive that has seen the supermarket chain increase its store count by more than 20%, to more than 110, including its first-ever stores in New York City’s boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan.
The company recently secured a lease for a second Manhattan location, located near Lincoln Center, and on March 20 held a grand opening for its newest supermarket, in Yardley, Pa.
Colleen Wegman joined the family business in 1991 and rose through the ranks, serving in roles including store manager, director of e-commerce, and senior vice president of merchandising, with a hand in shaping some of the strategies that have become best practices in the retail food sector, including the steady introduction of high profit margins from in-house brands and prepared foods. She was also responsible for the development of Wegmans’ Nature’s Marketplace departments.
Wegman is a 1994 graduate of the University of Colorado, and in 2000 she received an MBA from the Simon School at the University of Rochester.
In addition to its reputation as an outstanding employer, Wegmans has garnered accolades from loyal customers, who appreciate the stores’ friendly, helpful staff and popular product offerings that contribute to Wegmans’ standing near the top of the industry rankings in terms of sales per square foot.
A Wegmans store opening typically attracts hundreds of shoppers, including relocated residents from areas where the company operates a store and others lured by the buzz surrounding the arrival of a celebrated grocer.
“Even before we open the doors to our new store, we’re committed to making a difference in every community we serve,” Weg man has said, citing the company’s practice of contributing to neighbors through community donations and sponsorships.
Ahead of the opening of the new store in Yardley, the company provided donations to the Makefield Women’s Association, the Kiwanis Club of Washington Crossing-Yardley, and to Shady Brook Farm, for its holiday light show. The retailer has also pledged that five seniors graduating this spring from three local high schools will each receive a $1,000 scholarship grant from the store.
Senior Business Development Manager
H-E-B
SAN ANTONIO — H-E-B strives to live up to its Here Everything’s Better motto through initiatives aimed at making life better for residents of the Lone Star State, where most stores are located. Empowering H-E-B’s customers to be proactive about their health and wellness is one such initiative. Lael Wilder, who as a senior business development manager oversees several of the retailer’s health and wellness categories, is one of the champions of wellness at H-E-B and is one of the country’s more seasoned merchants in the vitamin and nutritional supplement space.
Wilder’s responsibilities include helping H-E-B deliver the very best assortment of vitamins and mineral supplements, digestive health aids, and a variety of brands related to diet and balanced nutrition. She succeeds by offering a product assortment, along with promotional plans, that appeal to Texans.
H-E-B asked Wilder to take charge of the vitamin category in 2007. Among lessons she’s learned over the ensuing 17 years is that having the right product mix is essential in the dietary supplements space. Brands alone could not drive success; what matters is the combination of the right brands with the kinds of products and ingredients that address customer needs and preferences.
Wilder credits a friend, a true naturopath, with getting her oriented in what at the time was an unfamiliar category. “She helped coach me, and really got me up and running.”
Paying attention to what customers want can yield big wins, says Wilder, who sensed an opportunity on to go all-in on gummies back in 2009-2010, when many of the leading suppliers in the VMS category were skeptical of the delivery format.
“The kids’ gummies were doing well, and I thought that adults would love gummies too,” Wilder recalls, “and shortly after that the category just exploded, and of course now everyone has gummies.”
Wilder said she also strives to make the shopping experience at H-E-B easy and enjoyable. To that end, she has explored various shelf navigation and product placement strategies. Wilder continues to look for opportunities to improve in-store merchandising, making it easier for shoppers to locate the products they want.
Wilder’s career journey has been serendipitous. As a college freshman, she embarked on a biology major, but quickly realized that was not her true calling. Her change of heart led her away from dissecting frogs and into business, retail in particular, inspired by a family connection. Wilder’s aunt had worked as a retail buyer — a job function she didn’t know existed until that time. She realized: “Retail really looks like it could be a great career fit, I love to shop, and I could get paid to do just that — that’s cool.”
Senior Vice President, Marketing
Hy-Vee
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — As senior vice president of marketing for Hy-Vee, Amy Wittry is focused on increasing brand loyalty for the $13 billion grocery retailer.
“My role is to be the voice of the customer — understanding them and how they engage with our brand — and creating greater customer loyalty and trust in our brand to drive sales growth,” says Wittry.
While her career with the company began at the young age of 14, she grew up knowing the Hy-Vee brand since childhood.
“My grandfather was a store director, and everyone in my family has at some point worked for Hy-Vee,” says Wittry. “My memories are of going to Hy-Vee and getting a free cookie, walking around the store and engaging with employees. This is where my love for the brand started.”
After graduating from college, Wittry joined Hy-Vee full time, working in various store management positions. She also held a variety of leadership roles in food service; training and education; employee engagement; and helping lead Hy-Vee’s Customer Care center. In 2018, Wittry was promoted to assistant vice president of advertising and later led Hy-Vee’s private brands. She moved into her current position as senior vice president of marketing in 2022.
“Having had all of those different experiences has definitely helped me in the role I’m in today — from working on the front lines at retail to focusing on the customer experience,” says Wittry.
In her role, Wittry helps bring the Hy-Vee brand to life every day. Her efforts have helped the 94-year-old brand strengthen its reputation for quality, variety, convenience, healthy lifestyles, culinary expertise and superior customer service.
Most recently, Wittry helped launch Hy-Vee Perks — the retailer’s new, upgraded loyalty program that brings more value to customers with special pricing on hundreds of items, fuel savings and other exclusive offers. Wittry played an instrumental role in the rollout of this program by promoting the ease in enrolling and the significant membership savings through a series of channels including direct mailers, targeted emails, app notifications, digital ads and in-store signage.
To promote the new program and its benefits to customers during their shopping experience, Wittry and her team supplied each store with a Hy-Vee Perks-branded display kit to create an in-store sign-up destination. Each Hy-Vee Perks area is then staffed by employees to help customers enroll and begin taking advantage of immediate savings.
To showcase the value of the program, Wittry’s team developed PERKS Prices signage to highlight the new special pricing structure. This allowed customers to see the immediate savings of the membership at the time of their product selection.
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