Retail pharmaceutical company Walgreens Boots Alliance has appointed Irishman James Kehoe as executive vice president and global chief financial officer.
The company owns Boots in Europe and Asia and Walgreens in the US.
Kehoe previously served as CFO and board director at the Tokyo-based Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited. He will assume his new position on 1 June and be based at the company’s headquarters in Deerfield, Illinois.
He will take over from George Fairweather, who played a key role in the Walgreens-Alliance Boots merger and subsequent integration and development, according to the company. He has decided to step down after a combined 16 years in the senior finance leadership position in Walgreens Boots Alliance and legacy companies.
International Experience
A graduate of NUI Galway and UCD, Kehoe served as CFO at Takeda since June 2016 and was appointed to the company’s board of directors in June 2017.
He has over 25 years of experience of working in finance-related positions in half a dozen countries, including most recently as EVP CFO for the Kraft Foods Group and SVP operating excellence for Mondelez international.
“I believe there is no more important company at the junction of health care and retail than Walgreens Boots Alliance, and I am excited to be joining the team at such a pivotal moment in the company’s continuing transformation,” Kehoe said. “Moving forward, I appreciate that George will continue serving in an advisory role to help ensure a smooth transition and further success for the company.”
“We are pleased to welcome James Kehoe to lead the Walgreens Boots Alliance global finance operations as the company now moves into our exciting future as a global leader in health and wellbeing,” said Jim Skinner, Walgreens Boots Alliance executive chairman. “His significant leadership experience in both health care and consumer goods makes him an exceptional fit and addition to Stefano Pessina’s senior executive team and the company.
“On behalf of the board, I also wish to thank George Fairweather for his steady and skilled leadership as he played a central role in the successful merger and integration of Walgreens Boots Alliance, and in building our global financial group,” Skinner said.
© 2018 - Checkout Magazine by Kevin Duggan
