Dive Brief:
- Walgreens Boots Alliance appointed Neal Sample as EVP and CIO effective immediately, the company said Wednesday. Sample will also join the company's executive and IT governance committees.
- Sample brings two decades of leadership experience to the retail pharmacy company, including C-suite stints at Express Scripts and Northwestern Mutual.
- The executive first joined Walgreens last month in an advisor capacity. He replaces former CIO Hsiao Wang, who left the company in October.
Dive Insight:
Sample joins the retail pharmacy company at a time of transition.
The company appointed Tim Wentworth as CEO effective Oct. 23, following the departure of CEO Rosalind Brewer in September. Wentworth served as CEO for Express Scripts during Sample's tenure there.
“I am excited to welcome Neal to our executive leadership team and confident that as our CIO he will help take our IT capabilities to the next level using his strong background and experience in formulating modernization plans, implementing technology solutions, accelerating growth and redefining standards of execution excellence,” said Wentworth in the announcement.
But the shifts at play for Walgreens expand beyond the C-suite roster.
Like its peers in the retail pharmacy sector, Walgreens has been focusing on expanding its healthcare delivery services. In 2021, the company spent $5.2 billion to expand its stake in medical network provider VillageMD, and later doubled down on the network as part of a nearly $9 billion deal to acquire Summit Health.
The company tasked Sample with leading the company's IT implementation and digital innovation, focusing on improving the digital experience for customers and patients. He will also play a key role in the company's strategy to build on Walgreens' pharmacy strength and advance healthcare delivery, Wentworth said.
via https://www.aiupnow.com
Roberto Torres, Khareem Sudlow
