Rosalind Brewer

Rosalind Brewer: Executive Profile

Rosalind "Roz" Brewer was born in 1962 in Detroit, Michigan, as the youngest of five children, making her a first-generation college student alongside her siblings. As one of the few Black women to reach the C-suite in a Fortune 100 company, her groundbreaking career has cemented her status as one of today's most influential figures. She completed her bachelor's degree in chemistry from Spelman College and completed the director's college (executive education) program at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and Stanford Law School, as well as the advanced management program at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

With a career marked by impactful leadership, Brewer has driven innovation and digital transformation across healthcare, retail, and hospitality. She has held executive positions at Kimberly-Clark, Walmart, Sam's Club, Starbucks, and Walgreens Boots Alliance. Brewer is the first woman to become CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance, group president and COO of Starbucks, and CEO of Sam's Club.

Career History

• Kimberly-Clark: Research technician (1984-1988) and leadership roles including market manager, director for Skincare, and vice president of the Nonwovens division (1988-2006)
• Walmart: Regional vice president of operations in Georgia (2006), division president of southeast market, and president of Walmart East
• Sam's Club: President and CEO (2012-2017), implementing digital solutions that transformed the customer experience and strengthened the brand's market position
• Starbucks: Chief Operating Officer and Group President (2017-2021), leading operational excellence initiatives and spearheading technological innovations that elevated customer engagement globally
• Walgreens Boots Alliance: President and CEO (March 2021-September 2023), where she became the only Black woman to lead a Fortune 500 company at that time, guiding the company through the COVID-19 pandemic

In a homecoming that bridges corporate leadership with academic stewardship, Brewer recently returned to her alma mater as Interim President of Spelman College. Her vision for Spelman combines institutional stability with strategic advancement, as she builds on the college's legacy of excellence to prepare students for an evolving global landscape.

What Rosalind Brewer could bring to Interim President at Spelman College: Drawing from her extensive Fortune 500 leadership experience across retail operations, digital transformation, and healthcare innovation, Brewer's background in operational excellence and crisis management—demonstrated during her tenure at Walgreens navigating the COVID-19 pandemic—positions her to provide strategic stabilization during Spelman's leadership transition. Her documented commitment to diversity and first-generation student advancement, combined with her proven expertise in organizational restructuring and digital modernization, could help strengthen the college's institutional infrastructure and student support systems.