When earlier this year Rosalind Brewer took over her new role as Chief Executive Officer of global drug store giant Walgreens, she officially became the only Black woman currently leading a Fortune 500 company and just the third in modern history to reach such a career milestone. A chemist by training, her professional path is more than impressive.
Brewer attended Spelman College, one of the nation’s top historically Black colleges and universities in Atlanta, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. She is also a graduate of Wharton’s Advanced Management Program and Stanford University’s Directors’ College.
She first spent 22 years working for paper manufacturer Kimberly-Clark, where she started as a research technician and climbed her way up to eventually assume the role of president of manufacturing and global operations. She then joined Walmart as vice president and became the president of the Walmart U.S. East business unit.
In 2012, she made history when she was named Sam’s Club’s CEO, becoming the first woman and the first African American ever to lead the Walmart brand division, before five years later joining Starbucks as its group president and chief operating officer. In 2019, she also became the only Black woman to sit on Amazon’s board.
And when she is not succeeding in business, she is also an outspoken champion of inclusion, diversity, and racial equity in the corporate world. For instance, in 2020, she called on executives to invest in employees of color with mentorship and sponsorship programs.
Throughout her career, she has never shied away from opening up about her experiences as a minority woman in corporate America. Indeed, she hasn’t been immune to racism and once explained: “When you’re a Black woman, you get mistaken a lot. You get mistaken as someone who could actually not have that top job. Sometimes you’re mistaken for kitchen help.”
For both her formidable business acumen and her advocacy, Forbes and Fortune have repeatedly categorized her as one of the world’s most powerful women. Her path is legendary in C-suite circles and beyond, and despite the obstacles she might have encountered, she has always found a way to succeed.
“I want young girls to realize that the possibilities are big. They can be race car drivers. They can be astronauts. They can be CEOs,” she said.