Our Values. Our People.
Our Differences.
Committed to creating a culture where diversity, equity and inclusion are at the center of everything we do.
At Walgreens Boots Alliance, our vision is to be the leading partner in reimagining local healthcare and wellbeing for all. To make this a reality, we are creating a culture where diversity, equity and inclusion are at the center of everything we do and creating an environment where everyone—patients, customers, team members, community members and suppliers—feels valued and respected.
We are proud to lead Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) across WBA. As we work to realize our company vision, putting DEI at the center of everything we do is core to delivering on our strategy.
Today, our workplace is stronger and more connected than ever before because of our DEI efforts, and we have received numerous awards and recognition for our progress and leadership.
During fiscal year 2022, our DEI strategy came to life through continued leadership accountability and transparency in building talented and diverse teams, expanded Business Resource Groups (BRGs), enhanced supplier diversity initiatives and increased organizational learning and awareness.
As we look forward, we are excited about our continued work to advance health equity, which is paramount for WBA. Our team is ready to build upon the progress made in fiscal 2022 and to continue to advance across our core pillars: Healthy Communities, Healthy and Inclusive Workplace, Healthy Planet and Sustainable Marketplace.
We are confident in the impact we will continue to have on the health of our patients, customers, team members, communities, suppliers and planet. Together, let's create more joyful lives through better health.
Senior Vice President, ESG and Chief DEI Officer, Walgreens Boots Alliance
Vice President, ESG and DEI, International, Walgreens Boots Alliance
32.4%
Increase of Business Resource Group (BRG) memberships globally, equivalent to 1,195 new members
10.6%
Increase in trainee participation in the Retail Employees with Disabilities Initiative (REDI) U.S. program from fiscal 2021
$625M+
Total spend with Tier-1 diverse suppliers in the U.S., an increase of $103.9M over fiscal 2021
34.8K
Hours of DEI e-learning training completed by more than 87,000 team members in the U.S.
9M+
COVID-19 vaccines administered in medically vulnerable areas through our Walgreens pharmacies and Health Equity Clinics in underserved communities through fiscal 2022
64K
HUG (Hello, Understand, Go the Extra Mile) Inclusion training modules completed by Boots team members to create a more inclusive shopping environment for all
*as of the end of fiscal 2022, August 31, 2022
FY22 Target: Increase women in leadership by 3 percentage points year over year.
FY22 Target: Increase persons of color in leadership by 2 percentage points year over year with 60 percent attributed to Hispanic/Latino and Black/African American.
FY22 Target: Compliance with diverse slates of candidates and compliance with diverse interview panels.
FY22 Target: Increase spend with Tier 1 diverse suppliers to $625 million from $500 million in fiscal 2021.
*as of the end of fiscal 2022, August 31, 2022
Genesis Bencivenga Sr.
After taking her father’s pudding recipe from the family kitchen into national stores, Genesis Bencivenga Sr., CEO and co-founder of Lorenzo’s Frozen Pudding, overcame setbacks with support from the Walgreens Top Shelf program.
After graduating from the program, Bencivenga credits it with filling the gaps that limited her first two go-rounds. Top Shelf provided her with access to the capital vital for growth, ultimately giving her distribution at Walgreens with a six-store pilot that grew to more than 70 stores a year later. Bencivenga says, “What did I get out of Top Shelf? More than anything, it was relationships that are now creating my network. Everybody knows it’s all about who you know, and Top Shelf has serious advisors to help teach you what they're good at.”
Psyche Terry
Started in 2009, Urban Hydration is a trailblazer in plant-based clean beauty. The brand was created by a new mom and dad who wanted affordable, sustainable care that worked well for the entire family.
Psyche Terry, CEO and Founder of Urban Hydration, and Walgreens have worked together to introduce her products nationwide.
“Partnering with Walgreens has been really instrumental to our business," she says. "We rose to the challenge of being in a large and favored retailer and our customers are happier for it. We’ve noticed that, from our buy team to field sales to the supplier diversity team, our business is poised in great relationships with each of them. Here is one business partner I can say partners big and supports you along the way!”
Teresa Ging
Founded in 2007 by former equity research analyst Teresa Ging, Sugar Bliss is a cupcake and bakery company based in downtown Chicago. Through the Top Shelf program with the Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC), the relationship between Walgreens and Sugar Bliss formed.
When joining national retail, Sugar Bliss credits Walgreens for the opportunity to expand.
“We are grateful Walgreens was the first retailer to partner with Sugar Bliss, a women- and minority-owned bakery," Ging says. "Walgreens commitment to supplier diversity and sponsorship of programs such as Top Shelf with the WBDC gave Sugar Bliss the opportunity to launch four varieties of cookies in Walgreens stores. In addition, this opportunity has opened the doors for Sugar Bliss to expand into more retailers and eventually become a nationwide brand.”
In fiscal year 2022, our business resource groups (BRGs) saw significant growth. More than 4,800 employees have joined at least one of our 24 BRGs. We recently introduced three new groups: Environmental Sustainability Asia, Valor UK and Women of WBA Chile, our first BRG in Latin America.
To further boost membership across our existing BRGs, WBA held a three-day UK BRG Open House for all team members to find out more about each group.
We also increased cross-BRG collaboration and strategic planning for fiscal 2022 by facilitating a two-day BRG Summit for all team members globally.
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80M+ vaccinations funded through “Get a Shot. Give a Shot.” and the UN Foundation through fiscal 2022, since 2013
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Walgreens team members at WBENC 2022
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Members of the UK chapter of the Pride Alliance BRG attend pride parade
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Team members at WBA’s Freedom Is Juneteenth Celebration
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2022 Freedom Is Juneteenth Celebration
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350M+ Women and children received vitamins and minerals through our partnership with Vitamin Angels since 2013
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2022 Freedom Is Juneteenth Celebration
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No7 Menopause Skincare line represented at Chicago’s Black Women’s Expo 2022.
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Walgreens team members at Chicago’s Black Women’s Expo 2022
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Virtual Pride Month event with the Walgreens Boots Alliance Pride Alliance Business Resource Group
We value external recognition as it tells us that we're working on the right things and going about them in the right way. Most importantly, these awards recognize and celebrate our team members' efforts and achievements.
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2022 Diversity Inc - Top 50 Companies for Diversity List
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Menopause Friendly Employer Accreditation
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Stonewall Global Employer Award Bronze
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DEI Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion 2022
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Careers and the disABLED Magazine Readers’ Choice Award
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The Forefront 50: Top Corporations for Minority Businesses
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HBCU Connect Top 50 Employers of HBCU Students & Graduates
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U.S. Veterans Magazine 2022 Best of the Best
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Black EOE Journal 2022 Best of the Best
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Hispanic Network Magazine 2022 Best of the Best
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Professional Woman's Magazine 2022 Best of the Best
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Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Corporate Equality Index
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2022 NOD Leading Disability Employer Seal
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Recognized as an age-inclusive employer (Boots and No7 Beauty Company) by age diversity organization 55/Redefined
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The first health and beauty business to receive Menopause Friendly Accreditation in the UK (Boots and No7 Beauty Company)
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Boots UK awarded Company of the Year by Burberry British Diversity Awards
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Boots UK recognized as a disability confident employer by the UK government scheme
At WBA, our goal is to embed DEI into our DNA. Across the enterprise, departments and divisions increasingly demonstrate the importance of DEI within our culture.
In 2019, the Walgreens Legal department established a cross-functional Legal DEI team to enhance its longstanding DEI efforts. For example, the team has proudly partnered with the National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF), National Employment Law Council and Coalition of Women's Initiatives in Law to identify and engage diverse law firms on U.S. and global legal matters. In 2022, Walgreens Legal department was thrilled to receive the NAMWOLF Annual Diversity Achievement Award, an honor that recognizes corporations and public entities that have exhibited outstanding achievement in increasing minority and women-owned law firm participation in Walgreens legal work.
For over a decade, Walgreens legal department team members have volunteered their time to mentor high school students in various community outreach programs, including Legal Prep Charter Academy, a charter high school in Chicago that fosters a commitment to legal careers for their students and “Street Law,” a program created and administered by the Chicago Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC). A true DEI initiative, Street Law aims to increase awareness and enthusiasm for the legal profession and model a career in law, specifically corporate law, for students. Walgreens attorneys and paralegals have enthusiastically embraced these programs, sharing their love of the law and legal expertise with hundreds of high school students. Volunteer attorneys and paralegals get involved with Legal Prep Charter Academy or Street Law by planning, leading or moderating a "hands-on-lawyering" workshop or acting as ambassadors for Walgreens.
We cannot accomplish our goals without partners. We are proud to work alongside some of the most dedicated and talented organizations around the world.
The Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA) is a global nonprofit organization committed to achieving gender parity in leadership positions, providing equitable practices that enable organizations to realize the full potential of women and facilitate business connections to accelerate career advancement in their fields. Walgreens proudly partners with HBA to offer membership benefits to our team members and empower women at Walgreens.
For the sixth year in a row, Walgreens has received a 100 score on the 2022 Disability Equality Index® (DEI), a joint initiative by Disability:IN and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). Through our partnership with Disability:IN, WBA sponsors the group's annual conference, engages in workshops, committees and other events and provides thought leadership on disability strategy and employment.
In 2022, WBA partnered with BYP – a network of 150,000+ Black professionals named one of the Top 50 Fastest Growing Start-Ups in the UK. Boots and No7 Beauty Company work with BYP to connect Black talent with career opportunities and mentoring. Through the partnership, we co-create content and help build a workforce that reflects and understands the communities in which we work.
Out & Equal is the premier organization working exclusively on LGBTQ+ workplace equality, helping LGBTQ+ people thrive and support organizations creating a culture of belonging for all. Walgreens partners with Out & Equal to provide LGBTQ+ executive leadership development, comprehensive DEI training and consultation and professional networking opportunities that build inclusive and welcoming work environments.
