Meet our team

Since I started at Walgreens, I've worked in several markets within this department, in a variety of roles. Right now, I look for potential new locations in New York. I'm in contact with our real estate team, our operations team and with Walgreens specialty healthcare team – to open up on-site pharmacies and expand out beyond our physical stores.

I started out in our central pricing department as a pricing analyst, specifically for Puerto Rico. In 2005, I moved to purchasing as a category planning analyst, and I've been in that department since. From an analyst position, I became assistant category manager, then associate manager, and finally category manager. It is a great way to work with different areas of the company, different vendors, and different products – and I get to travel.

Specifically in purchasing, if your goal is to become a category manager, it really helps to be analytical, to be quick on your feet, and to stand behind your decisions. You should also have strong interpersonal skills. You'll work with a lot of different departments within the company and with vendors outside the company. Being creative in brainstorming new product ideas or new ways to merchandise is really helpful.

When I went to graduate school, Walgreens was very supportive of my taking time to do group work or leave early for class – my manager saw it as a way to advance my career.

Walgreens is strong company with a great reputation, and it has been around for a long time. Yet we continue to grow – there is definitely room for growth, not only in my area, but also in different areas of the company.

Walgreens is very much a family brand that is recognized in the community for always being there when you need it. So I think a lot of people refer to their local Walgreens as “my” Walgreens. Because it is Walgreens people rely on – whenever they need something in the middle of the night or if they forgot something.

I like to read and spend time with family and friends. I love to travel. I do get to travel for work, and we go to Asia once a year to do sourcing and product development. It is interesting to learn about different cultures and the way people in different areas of the world work. I like to travel for personal reasons, too – the last place we went was Mexico.

I have an accounting degree, and Walgreens was one of the companies that I was looking into. My current boss, who is the vice president of real estate, happened to be at a job fair I attended, and we started talking. He said, “Listen, at this point we don't have any permanent positions open. But we can offer you an internship.” I came in for the interview and got the internship. Towards the end of the internship, they offered me a permanent job.

I oversee parts of Southern California. I am basically in charge of organic growth. Our team picks out a site. Then I negotiate with the landowner, and present it to a real estate committee that approves or declines it. Once approved, we begin the entitlements and all the legal proceedings - we buy the land, build a store and open it.

It's just so satisfying to go into a store and say, you know, I put this together. I came here 2 years ago when this lot was vacant or a restaurant or something, and I started it from nothing and saw it through until it opened – and it is great. It becomes your baby, so to speak.

I think it is very driven – people work really hard, and they take a lot of pride in what they do. I think that contributes to the fact that most of us think of our workplace as a family. I think you are very encouraged to think outside the box. We have been told time and time again that we need to keep our minds open and that we need to be ready for change.

I used to cover areas that were fairly remote to any kind of retail or services, and sometimes it was a bit of a struggle and I really had to sell my story to get a store approved for this area. We were actually able to build a smaller sort of a prototype for these very remote coal-mining towns. And when I visit the store, or I get copied on letters from people, they are saying, “Thank you so much – we had nothing before.”

For the most part, I spend time with friends and family. And we like to travel. I volunteer at a center on the north side that helps immigrants assimilate into the area – they provide legal help, English classes, daycare, and after-school care for the kids. I try to go there as often as I can. I also like to read.

Walgreens core values (the 4-way test) align with my personal values. I enjoy being part of a winning team, and Walgreens is certainly an industry leader. Coming from Puerto Rico, our Walgreens there is amazing – clean, well-lit and innovative. Therefore, I've always felt that it was a privilege to work here. More importantly, I work with talented people day in and day out. I feel as if I'm learning something new every day.

The number one thing I tell a candidate is to truly care. From an analyst standpoint, we are responsible for reviewing “the numbers” and interpreting them objectively. We share a commitment to do the right thing by our company. When you care about the decisions people will make as a result of your insights, your work is higher quality. Others notice your commitment and are inspired by it as well.

Walgreens is placing very high attention on building cross-functional teams focused on better serving our customers. As such, I will have even more opportunities to work with others, apply past lessons, and learn new ones.

I want to know that I'm learning something new every day! I enjoy the challenge of solving the tough problems that will truly make a difference to our customers. At the same time, work-life balance is also important to me. My husband and I have two kids, and we wanted to work for a company that believed in the importance of family time. Walgreens is a good fit.

We're a progressive group that's helping change our company. We want our customers to love shopping in our stores. To do that, you have to be knowledgeable and open to approaching things differently. You also have to be open to working side by side with people who have a different opinion and background from yours. You're going to see all of this in action if you join Walgreens!

Going places with my husband and kids is my favorite thing to do. I'm also a big CSI fan!

I grew up with Walgreens stores around us, and I trusted the company. Then I toured a facility, and I was very impressed with the people, the management, and the system that was in place. That pretty much sold me on it.

In considering this position, I would say get as many skill sets as possible. Learn as much as possible. Don't be afraid to ask questions, because there is always someone here that wants to help you. Believe in yourself, know that you can do the job, and just stay focused.

We are encouraged to grow as individuals. We are encouraged to be open and compassionate and to be able to see the other side of the coin and other points of view.

It's important to provide good customer service so customers can access and understand their medication and maintain a long and healthy life. My drive and determination to help with customer service helps build a rapport and that sense of community. When our customers see me, they know that they can trust us. Within our company, I reach out and mentor individuals who may need it – to help them grow and reach their full potential.

I like to make a contribution to others' lives. I think it is important. I trust the company – I like the company and I like what it stands for. I like the stability of the company. I work for a company that has integrity and cares about its employees – and you can't really say that about big companies any more.

My children. Reading novels, going to movies. Being very close knit with my family and friends.

The name. I grew up in the Midwest, where you see Walgreens everywhere. I have a lot of friends who work here and heard that there were a lot of opportunities. I also wanted something with flexible hours and a place where I could interact with people.

All of the different departments are great. They do a fantastic job of hiring good management, and everyone here is friendly and helpful. I've always had managers who were as flexible as possible and good tech help everywhere I went. It's really a family environment where we are encouraged to think differently. Walgreens even has an online suggestion box where you can submit new and unique ideas via email.

It's all about the customer. We're able to have that one-on-one time with each patient. We even have the time to walk out from behind the counter to help them find the right product.

We definitely have the best computer systems available, with great references online. Walgreens focus on improving technology has made a huge impact here. We also started using the POWER Program – this frees up the pharmacist to focus more on patient care. We're now able to spend more time talking to the patient and even less being stuck behind the counter doing the billing and making calls.

It's a warm environment, with friendly coworkers. I like what I do and really enjoy interacting with customers. Aside from that, there are tons of opportunities: the call center, POWER, walgreens.com, retail, home, health. There's always something new and different – it's certainly not routine.

My daughter. We go swimming and biking, and spend as much time together as we can. I also enjoy reading, watching movies and all kinds of outdoor activities.

I asked myself a few questions when evaluating Walgreens. Is Walgreens a leader in its field? Is Walgreens growing? Does Walgreens have multiple layers of management? Is it a company with multiple products and services? The answer to all of these was yes. I saw Walgreens building a variety of products and services that really touch many people's lives.

I always try to challenge myself and stay surrounded by intelligent people who encourage me to learn and improve. Management has always been very willing to work with me, and I want to be able to do the same for others that Walgreens has done for me.

Working within the PBM, a third-party administrator of prescription drug programs, almost everything I do is tied to a business strategy that is meant to improve our patients' lives. IT really helps enable the business to achieve their goals. This is really applicable across all lines of IT. We are a very healthcare-focused company, and it is gratifying to be a part of it.

We have invested in the right technologies that have helped us get new services out to market faster, improve customer satisfaction and reduce our cost of service overall. We are always looking at service-oriented architecture techniques and integration opportunities to improve business value. Integration across the enterprise is necessary to better serve our patients' needs, improve visibility, and become more flexible in an increasingly complex healthcare industry. Innovation has always been in Walgreens DNA, and we aggressively continue that trend today.

I have had great opportunities – this just reconfirms that Walgreens is still growing. Another big one is that I have not stopped learning, and I do not know if I ever will. I have actually bounced around in a few different departments, broadening my skills. Walgreens is very supportive of horizontal moves across the organization, as much as they are of vertical ones. This creates a more well-rounded experience, which benefits both the employee and the business. I also feel empowered to contribute to the company's strategic direction and success. All great reasons to be here.

I love the outdoors. I train for races and bike along the lakefront. I love backpacking in the mountains, participating in a year-round volleyball league, working out, and enjoying Cubs games at The Friendly Confines. In the winter, I hit the ski slopes. I try to stay active year round. Professionally, I stay on top of the latest publications, trends, methodologies, and standards in my field.

I liked the flexibility of being able to move, but stay with the company. I started in Florida and then moved to Chicago. And once I was there, I also liked that they noticed my dedication and my work habits and offered me promotions as I progressed.

I would tell them to learn as much as they possibly can and also to stay true to themselves and be dedicated to their work.

Because I started at such a young age, the company really did shape me as a person. It was great to be surrounded by diversity and the push to always do the right thing.

The most rewarding part of my job (as a former store manager) is feeling a sense of accomplishment every day when I leave the store - whether it is that I trained someone or taught someone something new, or whether it is that I went across town to get a certain item for a customer and brought it back to them in their house, or any little thing. I have to have a sense of accomplishment every day; every day it is different, and most days it’s more than one.

I have to have close relationships with every customer. So I learn about their kids and their grandchildren and the sports they played and vacations. It is more like a big family - you have to be able to build that rapport in order to gain those loyal customers.

I have 5 kids at home (we have 7 in all). I just like to keep myself organized and have fun with my husband, and make sure my kids stay active and go to the Y, ballet or gymnastics. It's the same satisfaction at work and at home – learning and training my kids to be responsible.

If you’re working at Walgreens, you’re driven to help people. I connect with our customers every day, and it’s that approach and belief in caring for others that inspires me and drives our organization.

It's a stable company that's been around for 100 years. While some have come and gone, Walgreens has stayed strong through good times and bad. That shows me that I will always have a career here.

Walgreens loves to have a workforce that is diverse both in who they are and what their passions are. For me, I love sports – I play in a volleyball and softball league, run, bike and rock climb – and stay outside as much as possible.

II started as a cashier. I’ve worked as a photo technician and a pharmacy technician, and then in cosmetic as a beauty adviser and now as a Beauty Consultant.

I wanted to gain more knowledge about our beauty products. They had this position opened, I applied and got the job and we learned so much in training. We got tips and tricks on how to use everything, as well as education about what ingredients are in each product so we know how they work together.

I get to do make overs for the customers. I use something called a “Match Made” which is new technology for color matching.

We have a lot of technology at Walgreens for beauty. With the Match Mate, I get to use it on most customers and it helps our customers find the best colors that work with their shading. We also have the “Hydrometer” for helping customers find the right moisturizer for their skin. We also have access to many training videos which are great and we also have access to tablets and our app so we can place orders for customers right on the spot.

Educating the customers about the products, as well as getting customers comfortable coming into the store and spending time with us in our makeup chair. But it’s progressing; we get people coming in more and more.

I can show care for customers when they come in and they are concerned about products working for them. I spend time and ask questions and use the technology that I have, they immediately become engaged and start to feel more comfortable and they know that I am going to help them find what works for them.

I was a Pharmacy Technician to start, and then I moved to Intern while I was in school. I worked in Pittsburgh, PA and then moved to Indianapolis. So I’ve worked in different states with the company and it’s been really cool.

I started as a Pharmacy Tech at Walgreens while I was in school. I took Biochemistry classes and related subjects during that time that I absolutely loved, and pursued my career from there.

I’m responsible for managing technicians and staff and making sure that they are engaged as possible to meet the needs of our customers and patients to make sure they are adherent with their medication and overall safety, to make sure that we are meeting those needs in an efficient and manageable way. I’m also responsible for making sure our inventory is on point, preventing loss for the company, … and then also building relationships with the front end employees by really getting to know my staff and building relationships with other Pharmacy Managers throughout the area through meetings and District Managers, etc. Overall it’s a very cool opportunity!

Workload can be demanding, and only as you move up from higher volume stores the time you have to do the tasks that are needed decreases so you have to become more efficient. You have to learn how to become efficient and learn how to switch off between Pharmacist to Manager, and know when to take a step back and look at things because you can get very immersed in what you are doing on a daily basis. You need to make sure that your staff is happy in their roles on a daily basis.

I like to bring the “old school pharmacy” as part of my role at Walgreens. I am one to always go up to the front counter and build relationships with my customers- knowing them by their name and recognizing them when they come in. It gives me that one-on-one personal touch and care for my patients. When we do our adherence calls and they show up with their medications I already know what is going on with them. It’s all about building relationships with my patients; knowing what is going on with them, knowing their background. As the Pharmacy Manager, I think it’s important to go up front and talk to them and care for them on an individual basis.

I started off as a cashier and worked my way up.

I have been in my role for 5 years, and it is always evolving. My leadership style has changed. For instance, I went from a “tell-do” culture to learning that I need to take a step back and listen more to the employees. This is how it should be. You should listen to the people on the front lines. They are the ones that know what our customers wants and needs are, what they want us to improve on, what products they are looking for, etc.

At first, it was hard to get employees to voice their opinion and tell me their ideas, but over time it has significantly helped our store turnover. New employees brought in their outside experiences from other retailers and gave great insight and ideas to make the store better. I let employees tell me their ideas and I help them to implement them.

For our store, our biggest demographic is our senior citizens. We have Senior Day in the pharmacy, which allows me to get to know our customers on a personal level and it coaches my employees on the importance of building that personal relationship with them. Many of them are alone and that allows us to care for them and make them feel comfortable when they come into see us. That goes for the pharmacy, but even in our other departments- photo, beauty, etc. - they know they are going to get the best customer service and care that they can get.

I started as a Pharm Tech and then stayed on after Pharmacy school. I did the Walgreens Internship program for 4 years.

We fill medications, answer questions and do free consultations that customers really love. I stayed on with Walgreens because I felt comfortable; I liked the store that I worked at and I liked being able to make a direct impact on people’s lives.

After rotations in pharmacy school, I felt like retail was more my niche. I also felt like it would give me a flexible family life.

I like that I can make a direct impact on someone’s life, and put a smile on their face. Even if it’s as little as someone not being able to find a medication or what vitamins they need, people are genuinely thankful when I can help them. And the little things we can do- calling a doctor, getting them a cheaper medication- it gives instant gratification to the customer.

Getting all my work done in the time I have can be a challenge. But it’s good, because sometimes you have a lot of prescriptions to get done and several tasks to do within a limited amount of time, so there’s also a big sense of accomplishment knowing you’re delivering a high level of patient care. And to get something done quickly so someone doesn’t have to wait, and to hear from a customer that they appreciate that feels good!

I’m a mom, and sometimes I feel bad when I’m not at home. But I feel that if my sons see their mom work hard they will appreciate it more. I want to inspire them to be the best and work hard and know that you can have it all- a great work life, and a great personal life, if you work hard.