After launching a turnaround effort in late June, Walgreens has made two executive appointments that it hopes will “significantly contribute” to the effort — Party City veteran Tracey Koller has been named as SVP and Chief Merchandising Officer, and Sharmila Sudhakar has been appointed Group VP and Head of Walgreens Digital Commerce.
As the company pointed out in its announcement, much of the pharmacy chain’s turnaround plan is focused on the front-of-store and omnichannel customer experience, where both Koller and Sudhakar will play a large part. Both executives will move into their new roles later this month.
“Our retail pharmacy business is uniquely positioned to expand the role we play in the lives of our patients who have come to expect and need retail pharmacy at the center of their care,” said Tracey Brown, EVP and President of Walgreens Retail and Chief Customer Officer in a statement. “To do this, we are investing in the industry’s best talent, which includes the addition of Tracey and Sharmila to the Walgreens leadership team. With their strong track records of delivering results in omnichannel solutions and merchandising, I know they will be critical contributors to our growth and success as we deliver an efficient, highly relevant customer experience.”
As the Chief Merchandising Officer, Koller will be responsible for leading Walgreens’ merchandising strategy across all categories, as well as deploying merchandising plans and programs to help drive competitive advantages for the company.
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Koller brings more than 30 years of experience and a successful track record in omnichannel merchandising and operations at organizations including News Corp, Whole Foods, Target and most recently as Chief Merchandising Officer at Party City.
“It’s an exciting time to join the Walgreens merchandising organization as the company sharpens its focus as a destination for areas it is uniquely positioned to lead, such as health and beauty and women’s health, while also reevaluating its assortment to ensure its relevancy, leveraging select partners and Walgreens own brands,” said Koller in a statement.
As Head of Walgreens Digital Commerce Sudhakar will be responsible for driving the company’s digitally initiated revenue growth across retail products, pharmacy, photo services and health services, as well as strengthening digital engagement through omnichannel solutions.
She joins Walgreens from Tailored Brands, where she served in a number of leadership positions, most recently as VP and General Manager of the North America ecommerce business for The Men’s Wearhouse and Moores. Throughout her 20-year career, Sudhakar has also held leadership roles at Walmart, Gap and Ebay.
“With a 125-year heritage, Walgreens has earned the right to engage with customers and patients in a way few others can rival, and it’s exciting to join at a pivotal time in the company’s history,” Sudhakar said in a statement. “I look forward to working with the highly talented team at Walgreens to accelerate our digital and omnichannel offerings that meet our customers when, where and how they want to engage.”
