The family biz

Above: Steve Pashko (center) with son Mike Pashko and daughter Amanda Buduo.
 

FATHER: Steve Pashko, Walgreens regional healthcare director, New England   

“I started my Walgreens career as a pharmacy intern more than 20 years before my three kids began working for the company. The day each of them turned 16, it was off to our local store in Worcester, Mass., to apply to be a customer service associate. Walgreens teaches young team members the value of working in a structured setting and the responsibility that comes with a commitment to a job. Between myself, my son, Michael, and my daughters Amanda and Lindsay, who left Walgreens after college and 10 years of service to raise her kids, our family has 82 years of total service. During our off time, we talk about Walgreens all the time, sometimes to the chagrin of other family members. Claudine, my wife, supports us every step of the way. When our kids were young, she would often say, ‘Steve, if I gave you the chance, the kids would all be dressed in white pharmacy jackets with name badges, ready to go to work.’ She’s not that far off – both Amanda and Michael are licensed pharmacists, doing very well in their careers and raising kids of their own.”

SON: Mike Pashko, Walgreens healthcare supervisor, Hartford East

“You could say I was literally born into the Walgreens family. From a very young age, I knew a wanted to be a pharmacist. Once I became a pharmacy technician, I suddenly had a whole new way to converse with my dad. We now shared a unique bond within our family. This relationship grew as my two younger sisters followed a similar path. Naturally, work and pharmacy practice are often topics of conversation – sometimes so much so that my mother, wife and brothers-in-law feel like a separate part of our family.”  

DAUGHTER: Amanda Buduo, Walgreens specialty pharmacy manager, Dayville, Conn.

“My first day as a pharmacy technician was my brother's last day as a graduate pharmacy intern – this would be the first and only shift we worked together. From Michael, I learned how to be a good pharmacist, to treat patients with compassion and understanding, and to never underestimate just how valuable technicians are to pharmacists. But it was from my father that I learned how to be a leader. He taught me the value of respect for others, making sure their voices are heard. He taught me to treat everyone fairly and honestly. Although I’m sure the rest of our family finds our ‘shop talk’ overwhelming at times, I cannot overstate how meaningful it is to share the Walgreens bond with my brother and father. It’s also pretty helpful to be able to call them at 10:30 on a Saturday night with a question.”

FATHER: Adam Moore, Boots store manager, Wrexham, Wales

“I have worked for Boots for two years after previously working for other large retailers in different sectors. It’s a fantastic company to work for, and that’s why I recommended to Brittany that she should apply. As she’s starting out on her beauty career, Boots offers structured training and development that will benefit her. We regularly talk about helping the customers and how to use body language and expressions in order to make the customer feel at ease – to be not only a product ambassador but a friend to the customer you are serving. I’m able to give her advice gained from my time at Boots, but also throughout my career.”

DAUGHTER: Brittany Moore, Boots benefit consultant, Crewe, England

“I have a passion for beauty and wanted to join a company that I could grow and develop with. I love to help customers decide on what beauty items they need and watch their confidence grow as I talk through certain beauty techniques they can try at home. I talk to my dad often about how I can develop my sales skills. It’s great working for the same company – I can ask him what he would do to promote a product that I may be struggling with. Sometimes I send him a picture of a display I’ve created and ask for advice on its position and how it looks for a customer. Usually he gives me little suggestions for changes that can make such a difference.”

FATHER: Jai Mahadeo, Walgreens store manager, Orlando, Fla.

“I started with Walgreens in 2004 and was indeed very proud when my daughter approached me with interest in joining the company. She moved to New York to pursue her career in pharmacology at St. John’s University in Queens, and of course needed a job, so I was able to assist in bringing her to Walgreens. Because I am in Florida and she is in New York, we never encounter each other through work, but there’s always conversation on a regular basis about what’s new, the directions the company is headed and the changes needed going forward.”

DAUGHTER: Karishma Mahadeo, Walgreens pharmacy technician, Forest Hills, N.Y.

“I used to work at a Publix pharmacy in Florida, but since there’s no Publix in New York, there was no way to transfer when I went to New York for my studies. Walgreens made sense because it’s nationwide. Working in the same company as my dad is a good thing in many ways due to the benefits of having more insight on the company. There may be things I have questions about, so I can go to my dad and ask him about it, and most of the time I get the answer I am looking for. He also gives me a lot of other insight on upcoming things I may or may not be aware of. He makes sure I’m up-to-date with what is going on.”

FATHER: Mike Treece, Walgreens specialty pharmacy manager, Somerville, N.J.

“My wife, Kim, and I have 58 total years with Walgreens, so it’s our family business in the Treece household. When Marlo chose Walgreens for her first job, I was excited for her. It’s teaching her valuable life lessons and offers year-round availability to work, as opposed to the seasonal work many of her classmates can find. My current role at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital-Somerset doesn’t afford Marlo and I the opportunity to work together, but I do get plenty of opportunities to take her to and from work. She has a great eye for fashion and makeup and really enjoys the time she gets over in the cosmetics department.”

DAUGHTER: Marlo Treece, Walgreens customer service associate, Whitehouse Station, N.J.

“My dad was a Walgreens store manager and became a pharmacist shortly after I was born. My mom works as a regional vice president. When the time came around for me to get a part-time job, Walgreens was the obvious choice. I had grown up visiting stores and going to Walgreens events my whole life.

“One event we support together is Red Nose Day – we watch the special on TV, donate and wear our Red Noses. And as a family, we’ll talk about new products I’ve seen come in at my store. The common factor is something my family is bonded by. We love working for Walgreens.”

SON: David Kallend, event and content coordinator, WBA, London

“When we lived in Portugal in the 1990s, my father worked for what was Alliance UniChem at the time – later to become Alliance Healthcare and a part of WBA. I would regularly visit the warehouses with him, as I found them fascinating. He and the warehouse team members would sometimes let me help them in picking some medicines and placing them into boxes, and then I could watch how they would be sorted by the warehouse system and prepared for delivery. The memories of these visits will remain with me forever.

“My father has worked for the company, counting the previous names of its businesses, my entire life (and a few more years, I may add). I did two internships within WBA when I was at university, and when it came time to start my professional career, I honestly couldn’t think of a better place. Within my first two months of working in WBA’s Sedley Place office in London, I’d already crossed paths with him, as he would sometimes come up for meetings and sit opposite me. We’ve also had some work email exchanges, which has been rather interesting as we both try to be as formal as we can with each other.”

FATHER: John Kallend, senior vice president and director of manufacturer relations and services, WBA

“I often go to the Sedley office for meetings to discuss WBA’s global partners, and I always try to take the opportunity to meet David for a quick chat and coffee. My team and I are currently working with the events team David is a part of to prepare for a future convention of Alphega Pharmacy, WBA’s network of independent European pharmacies. I’ve attended several events where David has been part of the organizing team, and am proud to see the work he contributes and the ability to adapt to the challenges that can sometimes occur at these events. Outside of work, we talk about WBA often, and I find it very useful to understand firsthand what a new and younger member of the company thinks, and how we should be developing in the future for both our customers and colleagues in a new world post-COVID-19.”

DAUGHTER: Lexi Lomax, Walgreens customer service associate, Cumming, Ga.

“Growing up, it always seemed as if my dad and I already worked for the same company. When he would take me into the stores with him for a weekend check, it felt to me like we were on a secret mission. I would be the shy kid hiding behind her dad as he spoke to the pharmacist. I didn’t have an official position, but I believed I was working the same job as him. I think these simple experiences brought our relationship closer. I enjoy working at the same company as my dad – I work even harder knowing it makes him proud and that it helps others to see how great he is. And it also has opened me up to community service opportunities through various events that Walgreens is a part of.”

FATHER: Lance Lomax, Walgreens director of pharmacy and retail operations, Georgia North

“I’ve worked at Walgreens for Lexi’s whole life, and she has come with me on weekend store visits and to different Walgreens and community events. This made her curious about what I do, so it was natural for her to get her first job at Walgreens. She’ll be attending the University of North Georgia in the fall to pursue a career as a physician’s assistant. She’s now a designated hitter – a role that splits time between the front end of the store and the pharmacy – and is excited to learn more about the pharmacy, since it aligns with her aspirations of working in the medical field.

“I make it a point to not go into her store when she’s working, just to avoid any awkward moments for her or the store team. But I did have an opportunity to recently send her a customer service award that I send out for team members mentioned in our weekly receipt survey comments. It was fun to add a special little note to her certificate. When she got it, she told me, ‘You know, you could have just brought it home and given it to me at dinner.’”