Philecia C. Avery, Pharm D, is the Associate Vice President of Pharmacy Services for Premise Health, the world’s leading direct-access healthcare provider. With the responsibility of nearly 100 onsite or near-site pharmacies at over 1600 of the largest employers in the U.S., Dr. Avery leads the operational excellence of Premise Health’s Pharmacy line of business. With almost 25 years of corporate leadership experience in the pharmacy retail business, Dr. Avery brings to Premise Health her successful background of setting high organizational performance expectations, delivering challenging goals, and achieving demanding business objectives.

A trailblazer and seasoned leader in the industry, before joining Premise Health, Dr. Avery spent 19 years at The Kroger Company and became their first woman and first African American Vice President of Pharmacy. Responsible for Kroger’s entire U.S. pharmaceutical landscape, Dr. Avery provided leadership to 22,000 employees, managed a $10 billion budget, and drove the strategy, business direction, and operation of the 2300 retail, mail, and central fill pharmacies.

Dr. Avery received her Doctor of Pharmacy from Xavier University of Louisiana. She is a member of Xavier’s College of Pharmacy Advisory Board and currently serves as its Chair.

A lover of life-fulfilling experiences, Dr. Avery resides in Tennessee, with her daughter Taylor and son Willie III (Trey). She is a voracious reader, an intentional traveler, and a self-proclaimed health and southern food aficionado.