DEERFIELD, Ill. — Ginger Graham, president and chief executive officer of Two Trees Consulting and former CEO of Amylin Pharmaceuticals, has been elected to the board of directors at Walgreen Co.

The drug store chain said Tuesday that Graham is slated to join the board as an independent director on May 1, becoming its 10th member.

A Harvard Business School faculty member, Graham has more than 20 years of experience in health care, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices and biotechnology, according to Walgreens. Before launching Two Trees Consulting in 2008, she was president and CEO of Amylin, a biopharmaceutical company based in San Diego, focused on diabetes and obesity.

Previously, Graham served as group chairman for the office of the president at Guidant Corp., a cardiovascular medical device manufacturer based in Indianapolis. She began her career in health care at Eli Lilly & Co., where she held a number of positions before becoming president and CEO of Advanced Cardiovascular Systems in 1993.

"We value the experience and insight from Ginger’s career-long focus in developing strategies to bring innovative health care solutions to the market," Walgreens chairman Alan McNally said in a statement. "We look forward to the contributions she will make as the company plays an even larger role in meeting the nation’s need for greater access to quality, affordable health care."

Graham also serves on the boards at Genomic Health Inc., Proteus Biomedical Pharmaceutical Systems Division, ICAT Managers and the American Diabetes Association Research Foundation, where she is the vice chair.

"Ginger brings a valuable perspective on the evolving challenges our health care system faces and the need for innovative solutions," commented Walgreens president and CEO Greg Wasson. "She’ll be a tremendous asset to our company as we continue to build growth strategies around our seamless, integrated network of pharmacy, health and wellness services."