WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS/pharmacy has announced new leadership assignments for its retail field organization.
The drug chain said Thursday that senior vice president of operations Hanley Wheeler has assumed responsibility for the chain’s western and southwestern markets while continuing to have responsibility for the midwestern and southeastern markets.
Assuming responsibility for retail operations in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic is Kevin Hourican, senior vice president of operations, who joined the company in June from Macy’s.
Dennis Palmer, senior vice president of operations, will retire at the end of the year after 37 years with CVS.
A pharmacist by training, Wheeler began his career at CVS in 1994 as an area vice president. Before that he spent 13 years at Revco D.S., where he held various management positions.
During his tenure at CVS and among his many accomplishments, Wheeler played a key role in the successful conversion of acquired Osco and Sav-on stores and led CVS’ organic growth into Chicago, Southern California, Las Vegas and Phoenix, as well as its entry into Puerto Rico, the company’s first market outside of the 50 states.
Before joining CVS, Hourican served as Macy’s senior vice president and Mid-Atlantic regional director of stores. He also served as Macy’s senior vice president of direct-to-consumer logistics and worked for Sears from 1999 through 2006 in a series of increasingly responsible operational roles. Hourican spent the past several months learning about CVS’ business by spending time in stores, with field management and with various internal retail support areas.
Palmer has served in his current role since 2006, when he joined the company through the Albertsons drug division acquisition. He began his retail career in 1975 with American Stores and held positions of increasing scope and responsibility, including store, district, regional and corporate manager for American Stores, Sav-on and Albertsons.
He was a key player in American Stores’ integration of Jewel in the mid-1980s and subsequently served in executive roles in real estate, store strategy and planning, and store operations, before being named senior vice president of CVS for western operations in 2006.
During his tenure at CVS, Palmer was responsible for the Sav-on/Osco integration and the conversion of Longs Drug Stores, increasing profitability faster than with any other acquisition, according to the company. He also led the retailer’s entry into several markets, including New Mexico; Tulsa, Okla.; Omaha, Neb.; and Midland/Odessa, Texas.
