Dec. 04--Walgreen has named a new executive to its leadership team as it gets closer to finalizing its merger with Alliance Boots.
Linda Filler will step into the newly created role of president of retail products and chief merchandising officer effective Jan. 1. She was previously president of teen retailer Claire's before resigning in June.
Filler will oversee the "vision, leadership, strategic direction and performance" of all of Walgreen's merchandising, the company said in a statement.
Alex Gourlay, who will become Walgreen's chief when the Alliance Boots merger is complete, currently handles some of these duties in his current role as executive vice president of customer experience and daily living, according to a company spokesman.
Before a 15-month stint at Claire's, Filler was executive vice president and chief merchandising officer at Sam's Club, a division of Wal-Mart Stores. She's held several leadership roles at consumer brand companies, including vice president positions at Wal-Mart and Kraft Foods Group, according to a statement from Walgreen. Filler also has held leadership positions at Hanes Brands and Sara Lee Corp.
Filler, who joined Claire's in March 2013, resigned from the struggling retailer in June, two months after the surprise departure of its then-CEO Jim Fielding.
Filler graduated from North Texas State University with a Master of Science in accounting in 1982. She earned her Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School in 1989.
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