In this episode of Women in Retail Talks, Women in Retail Leadership Circle Co-Founder Melissa Campanelli interviews Jeanniey Walden, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Rite Aid and Thrifty Ice Cream, a Rite Aid brand. Listen in as Walden discusses her new role at Rite Aid (1:20), how the Thrifty Ice Cream business fits into the pharmacy retailer’s portfolio (2:50), and the history between the two companies (6:15). She shares how she’s bringing her uniquely hybrid approach to marketing to both businesses (8:00), and her top three leadership lessons gleaned from decades of management experience (13:00). Lastly, Walden discusses how she keeps her teams excited and motivated by empowering employees to solve problems (16:50), her perspective on work-life integration (20:20), and what she’s most excited about in retail going forward (23:10).

Jeanniey Walden was appointed senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Rite Aid and Thrifty Ice Cream in August 2023 after holding the role during an interim period for five months. She is a proven marketing executive who excels in building brands and driving significant business growth. Walden’s decades of experience span Fortune 500 companies and startups across a variety of industries including retail, health and wellness consulting services, advertising agencies and emerging technologies, such as FinTech.

Before joining Rite Aid, she held marketing leadership roles including executive director and senior partner for WorldWide Email Marketing for OgilvyOne Worldwide and Grey Direct; global chief marketing officer for Mercer; and chief innovation and marketing officer for DailyPay. Other notable roles include leading marketing for NOOK at Barnes and Noble and JCPenney. Her uniquely hybrid approach to marketing fuses traditional and digital methods with innovative and cutting-edge techniques to deliver results.

Recently, Walden was named top marketer of the year by the International Association of Top Professionals and is a frequent speaker on the topic of work-life integration. She also is the host of a weekly podcast and network TV show called “Liftoff with Jeanniey Walden.” Walden earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and a Master of Arts in teaching from the University of Pittsburgh.

Date: October 3, 2023

Credits: Jeanniey Walden

Duration: 26:49