Stefano Pessina
Stefano Pessina | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 4, 1941 Pescara, Italy |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, executive chairman |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Known for | Executive chairman and principal individual shareholder of Walgreens Boots Alliance |
| Spouse | Ornella Barra (current) |
Stefano Pessina (born 4 June 1941) is a billionaire entrepreneur of Italian and Monegasque nationality. He holds the position of executive chairman and is the principal individual shareholder of Walgreens Boots Alliance.
Early life
Born in Pescara, Pessina spent his formative years across Milan, Como, and Naples. He earned a degree in nuclear engineering from the Polytechnic University of Milan. Initially pursuing an academic career, he later joined the Milan branch of market research company ACNielsen. Although his original ambition was to become a nuclear physicist, the political environment of the 1970s prompted him to change direction.
Career
In 1977, Pessina assumed control of his family’s pharmaceutical distribution business based in Naples, evolving it into Alliance Santé, a pharmaceutical wholesaler operating across France and Italy. This entity merged with Alliance UniChem in 1997. Between 2001 and 2004, he held the role of CEO, subsequently advancing to deputy chairman and then chairman. The company combined with Boots in 2006 and transitioned to private ownership in 2007. Pessina chaired Alliance Boots from 2007 until 2014 and currently serves as executive chairman of Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA). Additionally, he is a board member of the Consumer Goods Forum. In July 2020, he relinquished his CEO responsibilities at WBA to focus on his role as executive chairman, succeeding Jim Skinner.
Controversies
During a January 2015 interview with The Sunday Telegraph, Pessina referred to the possibility of a Labour Party government as "a catastrophe," criticizing its approach to business without elaborating further. His comments were met with rebuke from Labour representatives; Shadow Business Secretary Chuka Umunna questioned Pessina’s credibility given his non-UK residency and tax arrangements. Labour leader Ed Miliband also criticized Pessina for residing in Monaco and not contributing UK taxes. Walgreens Boots Alliance emphasized that these remarks reflected Pessina’s personal opinions and were not intended as part of any campaign against Ed Miliband or the Labour Party.
Personal life
Pessina is married to Ornella Barra, who serves as chief operating officer, international, at Walgreens Boots Alliance. He was formerly married to Barbara, with whom he has two children. The Bloomberg Billionaires Index estimated his net worth at approximately US$6.7 billion.
Awards and honours
- 2013: Grand Official of the Order of the Star of Italy
- 2016: National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) Special Achievements Award in Business
- 2017: Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement
- 2018: Induction into the World Retail Hall of Fame
External links
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1941 births
- Polytechnic University of Milan alumni
- Italian chief executives
- Italian billionaires
- Monegasque billionaires
- Monegasque businesspeople
- People from Monte Carlo
- People from Pescara
- Living people
- People named in the Panama Papers
- Walgreens people
- Italian emigrants to Monaco
- Naturalized citizens of Monaco
- Nuclear engineers