WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Pharmacy announced earlier this month that president Kevin Hourican is leaving the company to become president and chief executive officer of food service company Sysco Corp.

“Retail pharmacy and the role pharmacists play in health care are rapidly evolving, and we’ll continue to lead the way in responding to changing patient needs,” said Larry Merlo, president and CEO of CVS Health. “I want to thank Kevin for his contributions to CVS Health, and we wish him well in his new role.”

The drug chain said that Jon Roberts, CVS Health executive vice president and chief operating officer, will head up CVS Pharmacy in an interim capacity while the company conducts an internal and external search for a new leader.

Hourican joined CVS in 2012. As president of CVS Pharmacy and executive vice president of CVS Health, Hourican has overseen an $85 billion retail business, including 9,900 retail stores and over 200,000 employees, as well as merchandising, marketing, supply chain, real estate, front-store operations, pharmacy growth, pharmacy clinical care and pharmacy operations. He previously held the role of executive vice president of retail pharmacy and supply chain, and led CVS’ pharmacy operations, professional services and retail pharmacy product innovation and development functions, as well as the company’s supply chain organization.

He took the helm as president of CVS Pharmacy in 2018 as the company acquired Aetna. Since then, Hourican has overseen the rollout of CVS Pharmacy’s HealthHUB store format as it has sought to bring together its retail offering and Aetna and serve as a health care destination.

Prior to joining CVS, Hourican held executive leadership roles at Macy’s, including senior vice president and regional director of stores with responsibility for the management of 110 department stores in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Hourican will succeed Tom Bené, who is stepping down from Houston-based Sysco on January 31. Independent Sysco director Ed Shirley was named to replace Bené as executive chair, and Brad Halverson was appointed new lead independent ­director.

“We are pleased to welcome Kevin as our new president and CEO. Kevin brings a demonstrated track record of delivering strong growth, market share gains, customer service improvement and operational efficiencies within large and complex environments, having run an $85 billion business and leading large divisions at multi-unit retailers,” said Sysco executive chair Ed Shirley. “He takes a strategic approach to winning in underdeveloped markets while driving new innovation. The board is highly confident Kevin has the skill set and vision to capture the opportunities ahead, and we look forward to working with him and the full leadership team to deliver enhanced value for shareholders.”

Shirley will work closely with Hourican to ensure a smooth and successful transition, lead the board of directors and provide input on key strategic priorities.

Hourican added, “I am thrilled to join the Sysco team. Sysco has an exceptional business model and significant headroom for profitable growth. I look forward to working with Ed, the board and the talented global team to continue the company’s success and identify new opportunities to enhance our market leadership and long-term growth prospects.”