ORNELLA BARRA
LIFETIME OF ACHIEVEMENT IN HEALTHCARE
As Chief Operating Officer , International , for Walgreens Boots Alliance ( WBA ) life has been exceptionally busy recently for Ornella Barra , even by her standards .
In June , WBA announced it was aborting its bid to sell Boots , the second time since 2022 that it had called off a sale of the business .
One reason Boots is no longer for sale is it ’ s been performing strongly in recent times . Its retail sales rose by 6 % in Q3 2023 – the 13th consecutive period the chain has grown its market share .
In the past , Barra has faced criticism that Walgreens has asset stripped Boots , with 560 stores closing in the past six years , and many of those remaining being starved of investment .
But she disputes this , pointing out Walgreens recently signed off on a three-year investment plan to upgrade 70 Boots stores this year , followed by a further 100 in 2025 .
So now Boots remains firmly in the WBA fold , what does Barra envisage for an institution that traces its roots back to 1849 ?
“ Boots is very important for Walgreens ,” Barra said after the announcement . “ It ’ s in a very good position in the market , so at the moment , the best solution is for Boots to remain part of the group .”
Barra , 70 , is married to Stefano Pessina , Executive Chairman of Walgreens , who orchestrated the acquisition of Boots in 2012 .
WBA is a multinational company operating in the retail pharmacy and healthcare sectors . Formed in 2014 through the merger of Walgreens and Alliance Boots , it operates pharmacy chains , chiefly in the US ( Walgreens ) and the UK ( Boots ).
It also has pharmacy-led health and beauty retail businesses in Europe , Latin America and Asia , as well as a pharmaceutical wholesale operation in Germany and the No7 Beauty Company .
In recent years , under Barra ’ s guidance , it has focused on cost-cutting measures and digital transformation efforts to adapt to market shifts .
Before moving into her current position , Barra was Co-Chief Operating
“ At any age , you should never stop wanting to learn ”
ORNELLA BARRA
TITLE : CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER , INTERNATIONAL
COMPANY : WALGREEN BOOTS ALLIANCE
In her role Ornella oversees WBA ’ s businesses outside of the US , including Boots UK and pharmacyled health and beauty retail businesses in Europe , Latin America and Asia .
26 September 2024