Synopsis
Alicia Boler Davis is an African American engineer and businesswoman with impressive career achievements. She began her career at General Motors (GM) as a manufacturing engineer and rose through the ranks, becoming the first African American woman to serve as a plant manager for GM. Alicia joined Amazon in 2019 as Senior Vice President of Global Customer Fulfilment and currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Alto Pharmacy, a leading digital pharmacy startup.
Introduction
Alicia Boler Davis is a powerhouse engineer and businesswoman. Her career kicked off in Detroit, Michigan, where she grew up surrounded by the core of the auto industry. In 1994, after earning her engineering degrees, she joined General Motors as a chemical engineer. Alicia quickly rose through the ranks, holding various leadership positions in manufacturing, engineering, and quality.
In 2012, Alicia became the first African American woman to serve as a plant manager for GM. She was simultaneously overseeing Michigan’s Orion Assembly and Pontiac Stamping plants, which were responsible for producing the Chevrolet Sonic and Buick Verano.
In 2014, Davis rose to the position of Senior Vice President of Global Quality and Customer Experience at GM, establishing herself as the leading African American woman. She was concerned with vehicle quality and customer satisfaction, and under her leadership, GM had a significant reduction in warranty costs.
In 2016, she ascended to the role of Executive Vice President of Global Manufacturing, in charge of supervising GM’s car manufacturing at its factories all around the world.
Alicia became one of Amazon’s most high-profile executives after she joined Amazon in 2019 as Senior Vice President of Global Customer Fulfilment, overseeing a significant expansion of the company’s fulfilment network. Her role in expanding the fulfilment network during the COVID-19 epidemic is a testament to her unwavering determination and commitment to excellence. She renovated more than 150,000 warehouses and recruited 275,000 people. She became the first black executive to join Amazon’s senior leadership team during her time there.
Now, Alicia currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Alto Pharmacy, a leading digital pharmacy startup with about $1 billion in revenue and 1,200 employees. She was named CEO in June 2022.
Davis holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Northwestern University. She graduated with a Master of Science and an Honorary Doctor of Engineering degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, as well as an MBA from Indiana University.
Davis was raised in Detroit, Michigan, and was born on November 29, 1969. She is married to Fitzgerald Davis. She has two sons and an adult step-daughter.
1. Who is Alicia Boler Davis?
Alicia Boler Davis is a successful American entrepreneur and engineer with experience in several sectors.
Her career started with a strong foundation in engineering, she began her career at General Motors (GM) in 1994. She ascended the ranks to become the Executive Vice President of Global Manufacturing by 2016.
Prior to her role at Amazon, Davis spent about 25 years at General Motors in manufacturing, product development, customer experience, product quality, and lastly, as Executive Vice President of Global Manufacturing and Labour Relations.
She transitioned into the tech industry in 2019, joining Amazon as Senior Vice President of Global Customer Fulfilment. During her tenure there, she played a key role in significantly expanding their fulfilment network, a vital component of their e-commerce operations. She was especially notable for becoming the first black executive to reach Amazon’s top leadership team.
She notably became the first black executive to enter Amazon’s top leadership group.
She was responsible for the global network of more than 175 Amazon fulfilment facilities spread over 16 countries, overseeing the sustainability, product safety, security, and product compliance departments, as well as the customer service operations and technology teams. She also became the first African American and fourth female to reach the top leadership team of Amazon and join Amazon’s esteemed S-team, a group of executives who counsel its CEO, Jeff Bezos, which has been mostly comprised of white men prior. In the company’s history, Davis was the first black woman to become a senior vice president.
Now, she is seeking to improve prescription delivery access with Alto Pharmacy, LLC, where she is the CEO.
Alicia Boler Davis has been recognized with numerous awards, including Fortune’s Most Powerful Women in 2020 and 2021 and Black Engineer of the Year in 2018.
2. What makes Alicia Boler Davis special?
Alicia Boler Davis is special for her thriving success across industries. She is a versatile leader with a strong technical background and business acumen. She has excelled in various industries, including manufacturing, e-commerce, and digital healthcare.
As one of the first African American women to hold senior leadership positions in the auto industry, Boler Davis has challenged stereotypes and paved the way for others. She is also the first black executive on Amazon’s S-team, and leading Alto Pharmacy makes her an inspiring role model.
3. What Alicia Boler Davis care about?
Alicia Boler Davis career choices and actions have offered some strong clues that she cares about innovation and progress. Her leadership positions give customer experience first priority, attesting to her dedication to providing good experiences. As the first black woman to hold leadership positions at GM and Amazon, she wants to foster diversity and inclusion. Her success in running big projects points to a concentration on effectiveness and the best outcomes.
Boler Davis is also committed to advancing STEM professions, especially for women and minorities, to inspire their additional education and growth.
4. What are Alicia Boler Davis’s greatest deeds?
As the first black woman to become Executive Vice President of Global Manufacturing at GM and the first black executive on Amazon’s S-team, she has inspired people of colour to find hope for future generations, paving the way for greater diversity in leadership positions.
Her success in transforming manufacturing operations at GM and revolutionizing customer experience at Amazon, resulting in significant process improvements and increased efficiency, is a great feat.
The awards and honours received by Alicia Boler are outstanding deeds. Boler Davis received several awards and honors, including Black Engineer of the Year from Career Communications Group, one of Fortune’s 2020 and 2021 Most Powerful Women, Women of Colour Magazine Technologist of the Year, and, among others, Business Insider’s 2018 Most Powerful Female Engineers.
As the current CEO of Alto Pharmacy, improving healthcare outcomes and convenience for a large number of people, Alicia has indeed done outstanding deeds in various industries and sectors.
5. What Alicia Boler Davis faced as challenges?
Despite her immense success, Alicia Boler Davis must have had difficulties during her career. Being a woman in engineering, which is traditionally male-dominated, must have come with stereotypes. Breaking racial barriers in leadership, balancing work-life balance, and the pressure to succeed must all come with obstacles.
Transitioning in-between industries, such as manufacturing, e-commerce, and digital healthcare, would have required learning new skills and adapting to the changing landscape.
6. What keeps Alicia Boler Davis motivated?
Alicia Boler Davis has a passion for innovation and customer satisfaction. Her work encompasses manufacturing, e-commerce, and digital healthcare, therefore attesting to her dedication to making a positive impact. She has focused on improving the customer experience, breaking barriers, and inspiring future generations.
Alicia’s potential to improve operational efficiency at GM, revolutionize customer experience at Amazon, and create a more accessible healthcare system through Alto Pharmacy are strong motivators for her to make a positive impact on the world.
Davis is also motivated by her passion for ensuring the next generation of black female engineers, as well as their male counterparts, receive the education, access, and chance to thrive in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
7. Why is Alicia Boler Davis such a role model?
Alicia Boler Davis is a role model for breaking barriers, challenging stereotypes, and promoting innovation in STEM and business. She paves the way for future generations by becoming the first black woman to hold executive roles at GM and Amazon. With her outstanding leadership abilities, Boler demonstrates flexibility and great attributes in manufacturing, e-commerce, digital healthcare, and manufacturing. She also supports innovation, guiding Alto Pharmacy’s redefinition of medicine access and Amazon’s expansion of its fulfilment network. Her achievements have a ripple effect, positively impacting many people.
8. What is Alicia Boler Davis currently working on?
Alicia Boler Davis is currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Alto Pharmacy, a leading digital pharmacy startup. She’s likely focused on expanding their service area and customer base, as well as developing new products in the digital pharmacy space. Creating innovation in medication delivery, improving medication adherence, and building a strong team are likely to keep the CEO busy.
Additionally, she is focusing on attracting and retaining top talent in pharmacy, technology, and logistics to support Alto Pharmacy’s growth.
9. What could slow Alicia Boler Davis down?
The challenges Davis will face as she continues her career will mostly pertain to Alto Pharmacy. These include increasing competition in the digital pharmacy market, navigating complex healthcare regulations, and maintaining a competitive edge in the ever-evolving healthcare landscape. Additionally, maintaining a work-life balance, reducing decision fatigue, and attracting and retaining talent in the pharmacy field could be things of concern that’ll slow the CEO down. The digital pharmacy market is becoming increasingly competitive, and navigating these challenges requires ongoing adaptation and compliance efforts.
10. What can you learn from Alicia Boler Davis?
There are a lot of takeaways from Alicia’s inspiring career, offering many valuable lessons. In a field dominated by men, Alicia Boler Davis has broken through the barriers of prejudice. Her path shows the need for lifelong learning and development by teaching tenacity, flexibility, and a growth attitude; this can be evidently seen in her success in moving between industries and sectors. She prioritizes customer experience, driving innovation in industries like Amazon and Alto Pharmacy. Particularly for individuals underrepresented in STEM and industry, Boler Davis’s leadership approach is marked by shattering stereotypes and encouraging others. Her path emphasizes the need for diversity and inclusion in building a more fair future. Following her example, individuals can develop their own path to success, embrace challenges as opportunities for growth, and make a positive impact in their chosen field.
Pro Tips
Here are some pro tips inspired by Alicia Boler Davis:
- Embrace diversity: Boler Davis has actively supported inclusion and diversity. Seek out diverse points of view and backgrounds to enhance your own experiences.
- Developing your leadership skills: Growing a solid team, supporting innovation, and prioritizing customer needs demands top priority and helps in developing your leadership qualities. Leaders should be aware of difficulties and create positive experiences; they should support development and surround themselves with gifted people, like Alicia from Alto Pharmacy.
- Forging your career path: Choosing a career path means facing obstacles, never-ending learning, and identifying a mentor or role model. Break stereotypes, develop new skills, and stay curious about your field. To ensure a fulfilling future, consult people in your field.
- Maintain a growth mindset: Boler Davis’s dedication to lifelong learning and personal development is a wonderful model for you.
Summary
Alicia Boler Davis, a black engineer and businesswoman, is a role model for persistence and innovation. She is the first black woman to become Executive Vice President of Global Manufacturing at GM, the first black executive on Amazon’s senior leadership team, and the current CEO of Alto Pharmacy. Davis’s achievements include breaking barriers, demonstrating adaptability, championing customer focus, and driving innovation. Her lessons include perseverance, lifelong learning, customer focus, and leadership through innovation.
