TO LEADERSHIP.
THE BOTTOM LINE REVEALS THAT
BREWER IS ALSO VERY GOOD FOR
BUSINESS.
>> SOMETIMES WE USE OUR VOICES
BY SAYING WE BELONG HERE, GET
USED TO US.
>> Reporter: AS THE LEADER IN
HER FIRST COMPANY, SALES GREW TO
MORE THAN $1 BILLION.
>> IT WAS FORWARD THINKING.
>> Reporter: WHEN ROZ BREWER
TOOK THE REINS AT HER NEXT,
SAM’S CLUB, SHE MODERNIZED THE
BUSINESS AND BOOSTED PROFIT.
THEN SHE STEPPED IN AS COO OF
STARBUCKS AND OVERHAULED THE WAY
THEY TREAT THEIR CUSTOMERS.
ALL THAT --
>> BREWER WILL BE HEADING TO
WALGREENS AND WILL BE THE CEO.
>> Reporter: -- WAS A WARM-UP.
YOU’RE JOINING WALGREEN’S IN THE
MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC.
THAT WAS PRESSURE.
IT IS NOT AN EASY ENTRY.
>> NOT AT ALL.
I SAID, THIS IS A TIME FOR ME TO
STEP INTO SOMETHING I’VE ALWAYS
WANTED TO DO, AND HAS TO HAVE
IMPACT, MAKE CHANGE HAPPEN, LEAD
SOMETHING THAT WOULD LEAVE AN
IMPRESSION ON PEOPLE’S LIVES.
AS I’VE SEEN PEOPLE, YOU KNOW,
GET THEIR FIRST SHOT, AND THEY
LOOK BACK AT OUR PHARMACISTS AND
THEY’RE CRYING AND IN TEARS, I
KNOW I’VE MADE THE RIGHT
DECISION.
>> Reporter: AT 59, ROZ BREWER
IS A WIFE, MOTHER OF TWO, AND
NOW THE CEO OF THE LARGEST
COMPANY EVER RUN BY A BLACK
WOMAN.
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TOLD THAT YOU
ACTUALLY HAVE ADVANCED BECAUSE
OF YOUR RACE?
>> I HAVE HAD SEVERAL SIMILAR
KMEPTS S
COMMENTS TO THAT, AS IF I’M A
TOKEN.
I’VE HAD THAT.
I’VE HAD THE COMMENTS THAT, YOU
KNOW, YOU’RE NOT AS SMART AS YOU
THINK YOU ARE.
I’VE HAD A LOT OF THOSE, HODA.
I REFER OFTEN TO A SITUATION
WHERE I WAS AT A MEETING JUST
FOR CEOs.
I HAD ONE GENTLEMAN ASK ME
CONSTANTLY, WHAT DID I DO FOR A
LIVING?
ALMOST LIKE, WHY ARE YOU HERE?
HE MUST HAVE ASKED ME 20
QUESTIONS, LIKE, MARKETING,
SALES?
IT WAS LIKE, NO.
IT WAS SO FUNNY.
I HAPPENED TO BE THE KEYNOTE
SPEAKER FOR THE PRIVATE LUNCH
CHON.
AI
I ASSUMED MY POSITION ON THE
STAGE, AND I SAW HIS FACE
TOTALLY DRAIN.
I FEEL AS IF I’M GOING TO TEACH
A COUPLE LESSONS THROUGH THIS,
AND I AM GOING TO BE MY BEST.
>> Reporter: THAT DRIVE WAS
INSTILLED AT AN EARLY AGE.
BREWER GREW UP IN DETROIT, THE
YOUNGEST OF FIVE KIDS.
HER PARENTS WORKED THE ASSEMBLY
LINE AT GENERAL MOTORS.
YOUR PARENTS DIDN’T GO TO
COLLEGE, BUT THEY WANTED TO MAKE
SURE THEIR KIDS DID.
HOW DID THEY MAKE THAT CLEAR TO
YOU, THAT THAT WAS THE PLAN?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
IT WAS FROM DAY ONE.
IT WAS NOT -- THERE WAS NO OTHER
OPTION.
MY DAD WORKED THREE JOBS, BUT
FOR EVERY EVENT THAT I HAD IN MY
LIFE, HE WAS ALWAYS THERE.
AND I REMEMBER ONE EVENT WHERE I
THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO GET, YOU
KNOW, THE GOLD RIBBON, AND I
ENDED UP GETTING AN HONORABLE
MENTION.
I REMEMBER FEELING GUILTY
BECAUSE I WAS, LIKE, HE LEFT
WORK EARLY, ONE OF THE THREE
JOBS, AND ALL I GOT WAS AN
HONORABLE MENTION.
IT BROKE MY HEART, BUT HE WAS SO
PROUD.
>> Reporter: BREWER STUDIED
CHEMISTRY HERE AT THE
PRESTIGIOUS SPELLMAN COLLEGE,
FORGING A LIFELONG CONNECTION TO
THE INSTITUTION, AND A MISSION
TO PAY IT FORWARD.
SO IT’S YOUR MOM, DAD, AND
SPELLMAN?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
MY MOM, MY DAD, AND SPELLMAN
COLLEGE.
>> Reporter: BREWER’S FATHER,
WHO BEAMED EVEN AT THE HONORABLE
MENTION, WOULDN’T LIVE TO SEE
HIS DAUGHTER EARN THAT DIPLOMA.
HE DIED SIX WEEKS BEFORE
GRADUATION.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU THINK ABOUT
WHAT HE WOULD BE THINKING OF
YOU, LIKE, IN THIS MOMENT MAYBE?
>> OH, MY GOD.
I CLEARLY KNOW HE WOULD BE QUITE
EXCITED.
HE WOULD BE.
I THINK ABOUT THAT A LOT.
IN THE FACE OF DAUNTING ODDS,
SPELMAN WOMEN PERSEVERE.
>> Reporter: THE FIRST BLACK
WOMAN IS A PHRASE THAT MOST
OFTEN PRECEDES HER NAME, BUT FOR
BREWER, THAT JUST MEANS SHE HAS
MORE WORK TO DO.
IN 2018, A STARBUCKS MANAGER
CALLED THE POLICE AFTER TWO
BLACK MALES SAT WITHOUT
ORDERING.
BREWER, THE COMPANY’S COO,
SPRANG INTO ACTION.
YOU DOVE INTO THAT ONE HEAD
FIRST BECAUSE, TO YOU, IT WAS
PERSONAL.
>> IT WAS VERY PERSONAL.
I SAW THESE TWO YOUNG MEN, AND
WHAT REALLY STRUCK ME WAS THEY
WERE THE SAME EXACT AGE AS MY
SON, JOHN.
THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO HIM.
>> Reporter: WOW.
WHAT’D YOUR SON SAY?
>> WELL, HE TEXT ME RIGHT AWAY
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THIS HIT
BLACK SOCIAL MEDIA BEFORE IT HIT
ANYWHERE ELSE.
HE TEXT ME AND SAID, "MOM, YOU
HAVE TO GET AFTER THIS RIGHT
AWAY."
>> WE HAD A VERY CONSTRUCTIVE
MEETING.
>> Reporter: STARBUCKS DID
SOMETHING YOU DON’T HEAR VERY
OFTEN.
THEY SAID THEY WERE SORRY.
WITHIN A MONTH, CLOSED 8,000
STORES FOR RACIAL BIAS TRAINING.
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A PUBLIC
RELATIONS DISASTER BECAME
BREWER’S TRIUMPH.
DOES SEEM LIKE YOU WERE PUT IN
THESE POSITIONS AND SITUATIONS,
AND DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THERE IS
SOME DIVINITY HERE?
>> YOU KNOW, I DO THINK IT IS.
BECAUSE I’M NOT ON THAT MISSION,
YOU KNOW?
I’M SOMEBODY’S MOM, SOMEBODY’S
WIFE, AND I’M SOMEBODY’S LEADER,
BUT I’M NOT THAT ACTIVIST.
I FEEL LIKE THIS IS DIVINE
ORDER.
THE WORLD IS BEFORE YOU, AND YOU
NEED NOT TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT AS
IT IS.
MAKE IT DIFFERENT FROM WHEN YOU
CAME IN.
THAT IS MY GUIDING COMPASS.
>> Reporter: TO THAT END, WHEN
WILL SHE FEEL HER WORK IS DONE?
>> LIKELY NEVER.
LIKELY NEVER.
YOU KNOW, I SEE SO MANY ILLS
THAT STILL, YOU KNOW, NEED
ENERGY AND NEED A VOICE, AND I
HOPE THAT I CAN STILL BE THAT
PERSON TO MAKE CHANGE HAPPEN.
I REALLY HOPE SO.
>> WOW.
>> I MEAN, WEIRDLY, IF I WASN’T
WORKING HERE, I KIND OF WANTED
TO WORK AT WALGREENS.
>> FOR ROZ BREWER.
>> I LOVED HER WHOLE VIBE.
SHE STARTED AS A SCIENTIST.
I SAID, HOW DOES SCIENCE AND
BUSINESS WORK?
SHE SAID, IN SCIENCE, YOU
ANALYZE DATA, AND YOU MAKE QUICK
DECISIONS.
SO SHE LEARNED THAT
DECISION-MAKING.
THE OTHER COOL THING SHE SAID
IS, WHEN SHE HIRES PEOPLE, SHE
ASKS A QUESTION.
YOU’RE AT YOUR KID’S SOCCER GAME
AND I CALL YOU, WHAT DO YOU SAY.
THEY SAY, I PUT THE PHONE DOWN
AND RUN TO YOU.
SHE SAID, NO, NO.
A HAPPY EMPLOYEE IS THE
PRODUCTIVE ONE.
SHE SAID, YOU SAY, "I’LL CALL
YOU IN 30 MINUTES," AND I’M GOOD
WITH THAT.
MY DAUGHTER WON TRACK REGIONALS
ON FRIDAY, AND MONDAY, I HAD A
SKIP IN MY STEP.
I WANT HAPPY PEOPLE WORKING
HERE.
I WAS LIKE, THAT IS AWESOME.
>> ROZ BREWER.
>> I HOPE OUR BOSSES ARE
LISTENING.
>> ROZ BREWER, THAT WAS GREAT.
>> WE HAVE MORE ON THAT, IF YOU
WANT TO SEE MORE.
OUR FULL INTERVIEW IS AT
TODAY.COM/ALLDAY.
IT’LL BE AT 11:00 AND 8:00
EASTERN.
>> SHE USED HER SCIENCE
BACKGROUND AT WALGREENS DURING
THE PANDEMIC IN A WAY SHE
COULDN’T AT STARBUCKS.
>> I THINK SHE HAD AN AWARENESS
THAT ANOTHER CEO WOULDN’T HAVE