Rosalind Brewer facts for kids

Rosalind G. Brewer, born in 1962, is a well-known American businesswoman. She was the CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance until September 2023. Rosalind Brewer made history as the first woman to become CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance. She was also the first woman and first Black person to be the group president and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Starbucks. Before that, she was the CEO of Sam's Club.

Currently, she is the interim president of Spelman College. She also helps advise the President of the United States as a member of the President's Export Council. Many people see her as one of the most important women and Black female executives in American business. Both Forbes and Fortune magazines have called her a "Highly Powerful Woman."

Early Life and Education

Rosalind Brewer was born in 1962 in Detroit, Michigan. She was the youngest of five children. Her family was the first in their history to attend college. When she was younger, Rosalind loved math and science. She thought about becoming a physician (doctor).

In 1980, she graduated from Cass Technical High School in Detroit. She then went to Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. There, she earned her bachelor's degree in chemistry. After college, she decided not to become a doctor. Instead, she started working at Kimberly-Clark as a research technician.

Brewer also continued her education in business. She attended special executive programs at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and Stanford Law School. She also completed an advanced management program at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Rosalind Brewer's Career Journey

Rosalind Brewer has held many important leadership roles at big companies. These include Kimberly-Clark, Walmart, Sam's Club, Starbucks, and Walgreens Boots Alliance. She was also a member of the board of directors at Amazon from 2019 to 2021. She was the only Black person on Amazon's board at that time.

She has also served on the boards of other major companies like Lockheed Martin and Molson Coors Brewing Company. Today, she is still involved with education and community work. She is a trustee for Westminster School and the Carter Presidential Center. She also chairs the board of trustees at Spelman College.

Working at Kimberly-Clark (1984-2006)

After graduating from Spelman College in 1984, Brewer began her career at Kimberly-Clark. This company makes paper-based products used all over the world. She started as a research technician and worked there until 1988.

From 1988 to 1998, she took on many leadership roles. These included market manager and director for Skincare products. Between 1998 and 2006, Brewer was the vice president of Kimberly-Clark's Nonwovens division. She spent a total of 22 years working at Kimberly-Clark Corporation.

Leadership at Walmart and Sam's Club (2006-2017)

Rosalind Brewer joined Walmart in 2006. She quickly moved up in the company. She served as vice president, senior vice president, and executive vice president for different regions. She started as a regional vice president in Georgia.

Later, she became the division president for Walmart's southeast market. Finally, she was named the president of Walmart East. In 2012, Brewer left Walmart to become the president and CEO of Sam's Club. Sam's Club is a membership-only retail warehouse chain owned by Walmart.

As CEO of Sam’s Club, she focused on health and wellness. She doubled the number of organic products available in their stores. Rosalind Brewer was the first Black person to lead a division of Walmart. She retired from her role at Sam’s Club in 2017.

Becoming COO of Starbucks (2017-2021)

On February 1, 2017, Rosalind Brewer was chosen to join the Starbucks board of directors. Later that year, on September 6, 2017, she was named Chief Operating Officer (COO) and group president. This made her the second-highest-ranking executive at Starbucks, after CEO Kevin Johnson.

She was also the first Black person and the first woman to hold this important position at Starbucks. In this role, she was in charge of business and operations in the United States, Canada, and Latin America.

Leading Walgreens Boots Alliance (2021-2023)

On March 15, 2021, Rosalind Brewer was appointed as the CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance. At that time, she was the only Black woman leading a Fortune 500 company. Fortune 500 companies are the 500 largest companies in the United States by total revenue.

In September 2023, Brewer decided to step down as CEO. She had been in the role for two years.

Honors and Recognition

Rosalind Brewer has received many awards and recognitions for her achievements. In 2020, Fortune magazine ranked her as the 27th Most Powerful Woman in the World. Forbes magazine placed her 48th on their list of the World's 100 Most Powerful Women.

In 2015, Fortune also included her in its Most Powerful Woman rankings. Working Mother magazine named her one of the Most Powerful Working Moms in 2013. In 2017, she received the Legacy of Leadership award from Spelman College.

In 2021, Brewer was selected for the first-ever Forbes 50 Over 50 list. This list celebrates successful entrepreneurs, leaders, scientists, and creators over the age of 50. The same year, she was also added to the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame. In 2022, USA Today named her one of their Women of the Year.

Personal Life

Rosalind Brewer is married to John Brewer. They have two children together.

Advocacy for Diversity and Inclusion

Rosalind Brewer is a strong supporter of diversity and inclusion. In 2015, while she was CEO of Sam's Club, she was interviewed on CNN. During the interview, she explained that having a diverse team was very important to her. She said, "I demand it of my team." She also mentioned that sometimes you have to speak up to make sure diversity is happening.

She recalled a time when she met with a supplier, and everyone on the other side of the table was a Caucasian male. She felt this was "interesting" and decided to call the supplier later to discuss it. Some people on social media criticized her comments, calling her "racist."

However, Doug McMillon, Walmart's president and CEO, supported Brewer's statement. He said that Walmart had always asked its suppliers to have diverse teams. He added that Brewer was simply reminding everyone that diverse teams lead to stronger businesses.

After she became COO of Starbucks, the company faced protests. This happened because two Black men were arrested at a Starbucks store in Philadelphia. In response, Brewer and her team quickly made changes to company policies. They also started racial bias training for employees in 8,000 Starbucks stores across the country.