Chris Calcagno’s Post

Today, we are pleased to announce number 10 on BoardProspects Founder and CEO Mark Rogers' list of the “Top 10 Board Appointments of 2024 (so far).” Walgreens - Appointment of Robbie Huffines Pharmacy chains have been under significant pressure during the past several years as they face declining reimbursement rates as well as retail challenges from big box stores and Amazon. Walgreens is losing market share to its much larger rival CVS and is now planning store closures. It is clear that the chain needs to seek new opportunities to drive profitability and Robert Huffines has the experience and ability to lead a new strategy from the company’s boardroom. Huffines is the recently retired Chairman of Investment Banking at J.P. Morgan Chase where for more than 30 years he guided healthcare companies on strategy, mergers and acquisitions. It is difficult to think of a better appointment to Walgreen’s board under the present circumstances.  The complete list of the “Top 10 Board Appointments of 2024 (so far)” will be shared in the upcoming issue of Board Recruitment. Subscribe here for the complete list: https://lnkd.in/eu3Gyjf7

Here is #10 on our "Top 10 Board Appointments of 2024 (so far)" -- Robbie Huffines to the Board of Directors at Walgreens. See below for explanation. For #9 (tomorrow) we turn to the autonomous driving industry.

Walgreens Boots Alliance $WBA - how low can you go? Over 40% year to date decline plus a 15% slide 🛝 premarket positions this as a prime acquisition target 🎯 “Walgreens reported fiscal third-quarter earnings that fell short of expectations and slashed its full-year adjusted profit outlook due to a "challenging" environment for pharmacies and U.S. consumers. The company topped revenue estimates for the quarter on strong performance in its health-care segment. The results come as Walgreens works to slash costs by closing underperforming U.S. stores, among other efforts.” #wba #walgreens #suitors #stocks #money #activistinvestors #acquisition #acquisitions #acquisitiontarget #howlowcanyougo #investments #shareholders #shareholdervalue #valueerosion

This lawsuit was inevitable given Tim Wentworth's efforts to conduct a thorough reorganization, a process typically kept out of sight in privately-owned businesses to minimize investor risk. Making tough decisions can lead to stock price volatility, affecting investors who bet on how low the stock could fall. One could argue that investors should have been aware of the risks of investing in Walgreens at this time. It has been well-known that Walgreens struggled under previous leadership, faced high debt, and that investments were not yielding the expected returns. It should not have been surprising that the outdated retail pharmacy model required leadership capable of transforming it into a platform that could support healthcare investments. When you gamble on beating the market to stock gains, there's always a risk of losing. And when you lose, you cannot blame anyone but yourself and your investment advisor. #Walgreens #WBA #pharmacists https://lnkd.in/gVr7p3_e

Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA): "Walgreens is in a turnaround. [CEO Tim] Wentworth said he is confident the company has the right team and the right strategy to enhance the business’ focus, sharpen execution and ultimately turn around the company’s performance." Walgreens severe financial problems are due to the repeated failed actions of Stefano Pessina. It was Pessina who promoted crooked Elizabeth Holmes and her failed @Theranos. Pessina blindly believed in Holmes and pushed Theranos on Walgreens customers in retirement communities and hospitals. Pessina hired Sam's Club CEO Roz Brewer to manage Walgreens! Stock price fell due to this stunning mismanagement. Walgreens must now restructure by closing hundreds of stores. When does Wentworth a expect a return to profitability? He can't say. He needs to fire Pessina! Pessina is a con man and the controlling shareholder in Walgreens! Wentworth needs to sue Roz Brewer. These two actions would be much-needed leadership. This is what stockholders pay him to do. Message to Walgreens CEO Tim Wentworth: Do your job! Fire & sue Pessina! Sue Roz Brewer! Business Insider Business Press Club Business London Press Financial Times The Wall Street Journal Forbes Fortune The Motley Fool New York Business Times Boston Business Journal San Francisco Chronicle Fox Business Network HBBA Business Networking | Fox Valley Area, WI CVS Health Drug Store News Becker's Healthcare Crain's Chicago Business Crain's Chicago Business DC Business Daily https://lnkd.in/enfiJ-6b

Read all my personal knowledge on, Collapsing legacy corporation Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) crashes to it's lowest level in multiple decades. This after their prior #CEO was a woke-woman woke-AfricanAmerican appointment was totally useless incompetent mega-crap. This after Walgreens wasted a fortune going from Synon2e to crap-SAP all because they were full infested with lazy slow poor-performance bad-quality crap toxic clique favoritism buddy-friends ass-kissing sucking-up coasters talkers prima-donna BSers problems filled mess, with a white male prima-donna BSer I know of. This as Boots UK and Alliance probably a big mess to. Then they have a company of #health clinics that are in trouble. WBA also has an association with Prime Therapeutics that also uses Synon2e but full of toxic lazy slow poor-performance bad-quality crap ass-kissing sucking-up clique favoritism buddy-friends coasters talkers prima-donna BSers of Synon2e techies that they still have because weak enablers clique toxic company. As WBA Walgreens and their CEO plus top #Executives sued for securities fraud https://lnkd.in/eSFtAa8f and sued by investors https://lnkd.in/ezUXt4ab & https://lnkd.in/eWZbdd8d and being sued by an #investor too https://lnkd.in/e9hZcSP7 Of-cause CVS Health things got really bad with lots of problems is why white male Tom Ryan quit as weak that did not want to deal with the problens so they went with a woke-India CEO appointment Larry then when with a woke-woman appointment CEO Karen. - CVS Caremark that uses Synon2e full of toxic lazy slow poor-performance bad-quality crap ass-kissing sucking-up clique favoritism buddy-friends coasters talkers prima-donna BSers of Synon2e techies that they still have because weak enablers clique toxic company. - Omnicare, a CVS Health company hired TCS whose mega-slow mega-crap toxic cheap useless incompetent woke-India Synon2e techies destroyed Omnicare's IT systems that were written in Synon2e. - Their healthcare clinics and Aetna and CVS Pharmacy all probably a big mess too. - CVS Health is being sued for securities fraud https://lnkd.in/e52Rp86q & https://lnkd.in/eA2rJ84Y and accused of defrauding investors https://lnkd.in/e75pTeN2 RITE AID is in massive trouble too. https://lnkd.in/eT_a4VWt CONTACT ME FOR REAL HELP NOW. I am available for a #CEO / #CIO and #board positions or #advisor to, or high-paid Synon2e/RPG techie. FINALLY READY FOR ME TO HELP SAVE YOUR COMPANY OR BUSINESS OR GOV-AGENCY? Send me a #LinkedIn Message or InMail for real help before it is too late. I offer high-paid solutions. LinkedIn News Fox Business Network LinkedIn #cfo #economy #finance #coo #executive NYSE Nasdaq George Anders Doug McMillon Ryan Roslansky Jeff Weiner London Stock Exchange Cargill CBS News ABC News NBC News CNN Fox News Media Walmart Amazon Cigna Healthcare Apria UnitedHealth Group Optum CDW Conn's HomePlus

𝗞𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘁𝘆 𝗣𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗔𝗺𝗶𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀 Supermarket retailer Kroger recently made a move to sell its specialty pharmacy business to CarelonRx, a subsidiary of Elevance Health. This decision comes amidst discussions of a $24.6 billion merger with Albertsons, a grocery store chain. Read the full story > https://lnkd.in/eZUwpQwc #Kroger #CarelonRx #ElevanceHealth #merger #RetailWire

Interesting news that Walgreens is considering a sale to private equity firm Sycamore Partners. Walgreens has been in a tailspin for a long period of time, with management unwilling or unable to grab the controls and level off the business. Market cap has fallen by $92.5 billion in the past 10 or so years. With few prospects for engineering a rapid elevation of the company, a sale to private equity would be an elegant - if something of a Hail Mary - solution for extracting value for investors. If the deal goes through, Sycamore Partners would acquire a sprawling business empire that they could, with some effort, fashion into a more disciplined operation. They would also have the possibility of selling off parts of the business, such as Boots, to maximize their return. However, the scale of the task should not be underestimated. Walgreens is a big company with big problems, and this would be a longer-term investment rather than a way to make a quick buck. Cuts would most certainly be on the agenda, but the pathway to grow would be more challenging as the healthcare, pharmacy and retail sides of the business all have inherent problems that are not easily soluble. 

Over the past ten years, someone significantly profited from Walgreens stock, especially from 2016 to 2019. During this time, the company’s management decided to repurchase shares at what were considered very high prices. Currently, those repurchased stocks are recorded in equity at a $15 billion premium over the current stock price, where they will probably remain for clear reasons. Nothing short of a significant transformation of the core business will satisfy the market long term, while visions of this might yield price support in the short term. Unlike CVS, Walgreens' capital structure is not conducive to expanding into healthcare, lacking synergies or cost offsets. This does not imply that Walgreens has no future; with the appropriate long-term strategy, decisions, and leadership, there is still a place for the company in the market. Establishing a health care platform should be a top priority for Rick Gates. He must prove Walgreens can build a successful outpatient pharmacy program ... one that captures upwards to 100% of a hospital system's prescription potential. One place to start would be my web site. Rick Gates also has to transform in-store pharmacies, building a pharmacy for the future. This means re-inventing patient benefits that serve 'wants' rather than their 'needs' ... one that focuses on on-demand delivery. Perhaps read my articles on how to leverage the right technology and fixtures to reduce counter queues and wait time. The front of store is anchored in the past. The future is RETAIL CLARITY (no, not the same as transparency). Building retail clarity in the front end will not only build the business, it will solve your theft problems. It will undermine the front-ends of competitors and build a stronger, more loyal customer base. As always, we wish Tim Wentworth success in re-building Walgreens. For the younger people at Walgreens, start imagining a different future. Listen, learn, and lead, do not follow. #Walgreens #pharmacists #hospitalmanagement https://lnkd.in/gxifnTcv

Look out drugstore owners!!! I think there are some big implications should private equity firm Sycamore Partners acquire Walgreens as contemplated in the the net lease landscape- #1 - I’m not sure I’d say Sycamore has had a stellar track record in the retail space. Acquisitions include Staples, The Jones Group, Belk, The Limited & Chicos. I can’t say any of these remains a strong market leader in their category, can you? Maybe Staples but they’ve had their fair share of hits. Second, most PE firms capitalize their acquisitions via a Leveraged Buyout - utilizing 70-80% debt to finance its acquisitions. This further burdens the retailer and strains free cash flow, particularly if sales trends are declining for that retailer. Nine West and Belk both were forced to file bankruptcy as a result of this LBO structure. Third, taking Walgreens private means there is no longer financial transparency or in many cases a credit rating for the company. This will materially impact the liquidity of existing assets which are primarily owed by private high net worth investors. Our best estimates are that as much as 75% of the leased fleet are owned by non-institutions. This transaction will materially reduce demand and drive cap rates up, which will wipe out equity for many of these one time net lease investors. If this happens this will definitely create a ripple effect in the net lease world. Stay tuned.