Rachael Vegas

Rachael Vegas serves as Walgreens’ chief commercial officer, leading merchandising, marketing and digital for the retail pharmacy chain.

In this role, she is driving the revitalization of the front-of-store experience, enhancing digital engagement, strengthening the loyalty program, and creating seamless connectivity between pharmacy patients and retail customers.

Vegas brings deep expertise in merchandising and digital initiatives across multiple channels and ownership structures to the Deerfield, Ill.–based ­company.

Before joining Walgreens, Vegas was executive vice president and chief merchant at BJ’s Wholesale Club, where she transformed the merchandising organization by building merchant competencies, recruiting top talent, and modernizing assortment and negotiation strategies. Her work at the membership-based club is credited with delivering more than $100 million in annual profitability improvements.

Vegas began her career as a store manager at Hannaford Bros. Co.

After earning her MBA from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, she spent 13 years at Target Corp., where she was engaged in merchandising, planning and product sourcing. She later joined Brandless, an early-stage e-commerce start-up, as its first employee. Over a span of 18 months, Vegas developed the firm’s go-to-market strategy, established product standards, sourced more than 500 items across a dozen categories, and helped raise $300 million.