Walgreens Announces Executive Appointments

Walgreens (NYSE:WAG)(NASDAQ:WAG) today announced that Graham W. Atkinson is joining the company as senior vice president and chief customer experience officer, effective Jan. 24. Atkinson will be responsible for developing and leading the company’s loyalty strategies with a specific emphasis on the customer experience. He will report to President and Chief Executive Officer Greg Wasson.

Most recently, Atkinson was president of Mileage Plus for United Airlines, one of the world’s leading customer loyalty programs with more than 50 million members. In that role, he was responsible for improving the effectiveness of the customer loyalty program and extending the reach and impact of the marketing efforts for the program. While at United, he previously served as executive vice president and chief customer officer and senior vice president-marketing.

"With Graham’s 20-year career in marketing, customer experience, sales and operations at United, he brings valuable insight into driving customer loyalty both through marketing programs and in a complex business where employees are the true ambassadors for the brand,” Wasson said. "We look forward to that perspective, as we continue to develop our approach to loyalty in our stores and across our organization.”

Walgreens continues to strengthen its leadership team not only with executives from other industries, but also through recognizing the skills and abilities of current managers. Today, the company is promoting three executives who have made many valuable contributions to Walgreens.

Sona Chawla, currently senior vice president of e-commerce, is promoted to president of e-commerce.

"Under Sona’s visionary leadership, we have made extraordinary progress in our online, mobile and e-commerce capabilities,” Wasson said. "We have created an online presence to match our brick-and-mortar reach, and we are truly innovating with services like our Pharmacy Chat.”

Mia Scholz, currently corporate vice president of accounting and controller, is promoted to senior vice president of accounting and controller.

"Under Mia’s leadership, the company has continued a standard of excellence in finance and accounting stewardship as well as embarked on the largest accounting organizational transformation in Walgreens history,” said Wade Miquelon, executive vice president and chief financial officer. "Her financial acumen, critical analysis and careful decision-making are essential to the ongoing success of the company’s financial departments.”

Robert Zimmerman, currently vice president of corporate development, is promoted to senior vice president and chief strategy officer in recognition of the increasing importance strategy development plays at Walgreens and his contributions leading business development, mergers and acquisitions, strategy development and planning.

"Bob has been influential in the development of the company’s core strategies and initiatives, and, under his leadership of our mergers and acquisitions team, we successfully acquired the Duane Reade drugstore chain in New York last April,” Miquelon said. "That is just one of many examples of the key transactions he has led in recent years. His keen insight and thoughtful counsel are critical to the continued evolution of our business strategy.”

About Walgreens

Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2010 sales of $67 billion. The company operates 7,655 drugstores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Each day, Walgreens provides nearly 6 million customers the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice in communities across America. Walgreens scope of pharmacy services includes retail, specialty, infusion, medical facility and mail service, along with pharmacy benefit solutions and respiratory services. These services improve health outcomes and lower costs for payers including employers, managed care organizations, health systems, pharmacy benefit managers and the public sector. Take Care Health Systems is a Walgreens subsidiary that is the largest and most comprehensive manager of worksite health centers and in-store convenient care clinics, with more than 700 locations throughout the country.