Labor & Employment

Potential trumps experience, lessons from London and why mistakes are really investments in success — Walgreens’ president of pharmacy and retail ops tees it up with DSN.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — José (Joe) E. Almeida, chairman of the board and CEO of Baxter International, has been elected to Walgreens Boots Alliance’s board of directors, effective immediately. Almeida, who joins the board as an independent director, becomes the board’s 11th member.

MAPLE GROVE, Minn. — Japanese generic pharmaceutical manufacturer Sawai Pharmaceutical will purchase the generic pharmaceuticals business of Upsher-Smith Laboratories, from its parent, Acova, for $1.05 billion.

Under Thursday’s agreement, expected to close near the end of June 2017, Rusty Field, the current President of Upsher-Smith, will continue leading the company. Following the closing, Upsher-Smith’s non-generic pharmaceuticals businesses will remain with Acova.

CINCINNATI — Kroger on Tuesday announced that Angel Colón has been promoted to senior director of diversity. He has been serving as the company's director of multicultural development for merchandising since 2008.

Colón succeeds Rueben Shaffer, who retired at the end of March, as Kroger's head of diversity and also assumes the responsibilities for the company's strong supplier diversity program.

BOISE, Idaho — Albertsons on Wednesday announced the promotion of one of its own to lead its store operations, supply chain, manufacturing, integration and marketing and merchandising. The company named Wayne Denningham, most recently EVP and COO, to the role of president and COO.

Bob Miller remains in his position as chairman and CEO, which he has held since April 2015, the company said.

DALLAS – A national coalition of more than 50 leading U.S. companies known as the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative will come together on May 19 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center to host the Dallas Opportunity Fair –  an unprecedented, day-long hiring event aimed at 16-24 year olds who are not in school and unemployed.

TORONTO — Loblaw and Shoppers Drug Mart are taking a big step for employees using medical marijuana, Toronto’s “Breakfast Television” is reporting. The company is set to cover up to $1,500 in expenses related to medical marijuana, the report said, making 45,000 employees eligible.

DUBLIN, Ohio — Cardinal Health will acquire Medtronic's patient care, deep vein thrombosis and nutritional insufficiency businesses for $6.1 billion in cash. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of Cardinal Health's fiscal year 2018, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory clearances.  

The purchase price does not include cash tax benefits of at least $100 million. The acquisition is expected to be financed with a combination of $4.5 billion in new senior unsecured notes and existing cash.