WBA: Putting the authenticity into procurement
An integrated healthcare, pharmacy and retail leader that serves customers across the US, Europe and Latin America, WBA operates a plethora of consumer brands, of which one or two (at the very least) may already be familiar: Walgreens, Boots, Duane Reade, the No7 Beauty Company, Benavides (Mexico), and Ahumada (Chile). This brand portfolio is further bolstered by WBA’s healthcare-focused investments in several countries, including major markets such as China and the U.S.
In his role of chief procurement officer (CPO), Jim Townsend is an integral leader within WBA.. Armed with considerable experience that he has accumulated in the course of varied roles, Townsend is ripe with knowledge – whether technical, business-focused, historical or about building self-belief for success.
His honest, straightforward approach lends itself well to the role of CPO, particularly when liaising with other organisations and making tough calls. This has fed into the company’s digital procurement transformation, as well as its overall large-scale transformation process, ensuring success for WBA as a whole, which Townsend elaborates on in discussion with Procurement magazine.
