Meet Our Founder

Founder/Chief Strategic Advisor

Executive Leader. Strategic Advisor. Purpose-Driven.

Dr. Philecia C. Avery is a seasoned healthcare executive and strategic advisor with nearly 30 years of experience leading in complex, highly regulated environments. She partners with senior leaders and mission-driven organizations navigating growth, transformation, and high-stakes decisions—bringing clarity, discipline, and purpose to the work that matters most.

Philecia’s leadership career includes serving as the first woman and first African American Vice President of Pharmacy at The Kroger Co., where she held enterprise-level responsibility for strategy, operations, regulatory compliance, and performance across a national footprint. Throughout her career, she has been trusted with large-scale operations, P&L accountability, cross-functional leadership, and high-stakes decision-making in environments where clarity and execution are critical.

While pharmacy and healthcare are her core domains, Philecia’s leadership career spans a diverse range of organizational models—including retail, employer-sponsored services, payer and benefit administration, government programs, and mission-driven enterprises—where the underlying leadership, systems, and strategy challenges are remarkably consistent. These experiences have reinforced a central truth in her work: while industries may differ, the challenge of aligning people, systems, and strategy remains universal.

Today, Philecia brings that executive experience into her advisory work—helping organizations align strategy, systems, and leadership so progress does not come at the expense of people, culture, or long-term outcomes. She is known for her ability to listen deeply, synthesize complexity quickly, and guide thoughtful, grounded decisions that leaders can act on with confidence.

Her work is shaped by a core belief that sustainable growth requires more than bold ideas—it requires disciplined execution, aligned leadership, and values-driven judgment. Philecia brings a holistic but practical lens to leadership, recognizing that organizations succeed when people, systems, and strategy move together.

In addition to her advisory work, Philecia is the founder of The Bosses and Bourbon® Network, a leadership platform that convenes accomplished women and allies for candid dialogue, strategic perspective, and community rooted in real-world leadership experience.

Whether advising organizations through pivotal moments or supporting leaders as they navigate complexity, Philecia approaches her work with purpose, clarity, and a steady commitment to meaningful, sustainable impact.