Walgreens Taps Reade Vet to Lead Front-End Efforts

Walgreens this month named Joseph Magnacca, president of the Walgreens-owned Duane Reade chain, to the new corporate-level position of "president of daily living products and solutions."In his new role, Magnacca is charged with bringing together Walgreens' "marketing and merchandising functions to help enhance and carry out the company's strategy to be America's first choice for health and daily living," according to a media release announcing the appointment.The move reflects the importance of front-end sales to Walgreens' strategy. The retailer is looking to "enhance our daily living products business, much as we have already enhanced our pharmacy, health and wellness services and solutions business,” chief executive officer Greg Wasson said in the release.Magnacca was chief merchandising officer at Duane Reade when the New York chain was acquired by Walgreens in April 2010, and was named president soon after the deal closed. He now will oversee the departments led by chief marketing officer Kim Feil and chief merchandising officer Bryan Pugh, reporting directly to Wasson. Magnacca will continue to lead the Duane Reade integration process as well. "The creative innovations and improvements that Joe brought to Duane Reade will now benefit and be extended across our entire organization,” Wasson said.Prior to joining Duane Reade in 2008, Magnacca served as executive vice president of merchandising and category management for Shoppers Drug Mart, the largest drugstore chain in Canada, and vice president of marketing and merchandising for Canadian food distributor Loblaw.In other personnel moves, Hal Rosenbluth will retire as president of Walgreens' health and wellness division in April but remain a senior consultant to Wasson, the company said.In related moves, the Take Care Clinics and worksite health centers operation, led by Peter Hotz, will now report to Mark Wagner, president of the company's community management division. The sales and client services organization, led by chief client officer Joe Terrion, along with clinical services, led by chief medical officer Cheryl Pegus, will become part of Walgreens' pharmacy, health and wellness services and solutions division, under president Kermit Crawford.

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