Walgreens streamlines with management shift

DEERFIELD, Ill. An unannounced but significant realignment of top management at Walgreens will streamline the company’s decision-making and reporting apparatus — and boost its ability to execute a constantly evolving merchandising and marketing strategy throughout its vast retail network, a company official said Wednesday.

Walgreens confirmed Wednesday that it has quietly shifted the reporting structure for president and CEO Greg Wasson and his top lieutenants, as outlined in an internal memo to department heads. Under the new management plan, two EVPs — Mark Wagner, EVP operations and community management, and Kermit Crawford, EVP pharmacy services — have been named presidents of their divisions. In line with the change, two other senior officers — VP merchandising Bryan Pugh and Kim Feil, VP and chief marketing officer — now report directly to Wagner.

Previously, both Pugh and Feil reported directly to Wasson. “As a result, Greg has fewer direct reports,” one source inside Walgreens told Drug Store News. Prior to the change, the source added, “virtually all of the senior management team was directly reporting to Greg Wasson.”

The change brings the number of senior executives holding the title of division president to three. The first such post has been held by Hal Rosenbluth, SVP and president of Walgreens’ health-and-wellness division.

In line with the restructuring, Colin Watts, VP new product development and chief innovation officer, now reports to Crawford in pharmacy services.

One company insider described the management changes as a way “to assist in our execution efforts and have greater alignment across the organization.”