Rosalind Brewer

Brewer was named as one of USA Today's Women of the Year in 2022, which recognizes women who have made a significant impact.

Rosalind G. Brewer, also known as "Roz", is an American businesswoman serving as the CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance. With her appointment at Walgreens in March 2021, she is one of only two Black women CEOs of Fortune 500 companies (along with Thasunda Duckett). Brewer is the first African American woman to become CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance, group president and COO of Starbucks, and CEO of Sam's Club. She has also held various leadership positions at Walmart and Kimberly-Clark.

On 15 March 2021, Rosalind Brewer was appointed as the CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance. Brewer became the only current African American woman to lead a Fortune 500 company.

Brewer was selected for the inaugural 2021 Forbes 50 Over 50 list of entrepreneurs, leaders, scientists and creators who are over the age of 50.

In 2020, Fortune ranked Brewer the 27th Most Powerful Woman in the World and Forbes ranked her 48th in their Worlds 100 Most Powerful Woman.

Brewer has held executive positions at Kimberly-Clark, Walmart, Sam's Club, Starbucks, and Walgreens Boots Alliance. Additionally, Brewer was made the only African American member of the board of directors at Amazon in 2019. She also served as a member on the Board of Directors at Lockheed Martin and Molson Coors Brewing Company. Brewer continues to serve as a member on the Board of Trustees for Westminster School, the Board of Councilors for the Carter Presidential Center, and serves as the Board of Trustees Chair at Spelman College.

Brewer served as a member of the board of directors at Amazon from 2019 to 2021. She was also a director of Lockheed Martin from 2011 to 2017 and Molson Coors Brewing Company from 2006 to 2011.

On 1 February 2017, Brewer was nominated for the Starbucks board of directors. On 6 September 2017 was named COO and group president. Brewer was the second-highest-ranking executive at Starbucks after CEO Kevin Johnson and the first African American and the first woman to become the COO and group president of Starbucks. She led businesses and operations in the United States, Canada, and Latin America.

In 2017, Brewer received the Spelman College Legacy of Leadership award.

On 15 September 2015, Fortune included Brewer in its Most Powerful Woman rankings. Working Mother named her one of the Most Powerful Working Moms of 2013.

In 2015, as CEO of Sam's Club, Brewer was interviewed on CNN by Poppy Harlow. During the interview, Brewer explained that diversity was a priority for her. When speaking about the topic, she said, "I demand it of my team" and that, "Every now and then you have to nudge your partners. You have to speak up and speak out. And I try to use my platform for that. I try to set an example."

In 2012, Brewer left Walmart and became the president and CEO of Sam's Club, the membership-only retail warehouse clubs owned and operated by Walmart. She focused on health and wellness by doubling the number of organic products offered at Sam's Clubs. As CEO of Sam’s Club, Brewer became the first African American to lead a Walmart division. She retired from her role at Sam’s Club in 2017.

Brewer's career with Walmart began in 2006. Brewer served as the vice president, senior vice president, executive vice president for southeastern operations, and executive vice president for the eastern business unit at Walmart stores. Brewer started her position as regional vice president of operations in Georgia. Following her work as the regional vice president of Operations in Georgia, she became the division president of Walmart's southeast market, and finally the president of Walmart East.

In 1984, after graduating from Spelman College, Brewer began her career as a research technician at Kimberly-Clark, a global paper-based product company, till 1988. From 1988 to 1998, she held numerous leadership roles including: market manager, director for Skincare, and vice president for nonwovens. From 1998 and 2006, Brewer served as the president for manufacturing and operations and the global president at Kimberly-Clark. Brewer had a 22 year career at Kimberly-Clark Corporation.

In 1980, upon graduating from Cass Technical High School in Detroit, Brewer enrolled at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia where she completed her bachelor's degree in chemistry. After completing her undergraduate studies, she decided not to pursue a career in medicine and began working at Kimberly-Clark as a research technician.

Rosalind Brewer was born in 1962 in Detroit, Michigan, the youngest of five children; they were the first generation in her family to attend college. Due to her inclination for math and science, Brewer was interested in pursuing a career as a physician.