The former executive vice president and co-chief operating officer for Walgreens Boots Alliance has been named as Holland & Barrett’s new executive chair.
Alex Gourlay, who is also a qualified pharmacist, has replaced Michael Casey, who held the role since September 2021, with immediate effect.
Casey will provide support during the transition period and remain as a non-executive board member before returning to Holland & Barrett owner LetterOne to create and lead a new business unit for making impact investments, Holland & Barrett said.
Gourlay left Walgreens Boots Alliance, which has 13,000 stores and 300,000 staff members in Europe, the US and Latin America, in May 2021.
Gourlay said he had always held “huge respect” for Holland & Barrett.
“It is a much-loved UK institution playing a vital role for health and wellness on an international scale,” he said.
“The opportunity to help it through its next stage of transformation is genuinely exciting. Michael and the team have done a fantastic job positioning the business for a bright future. I thank them for that and am fully committed to taking their work forward successfully.”
Holland & Barrett credited Casey with overseeing a “vital transformation of the business”.
Casey said he was “proud to have been a small part of its 150-year history”.
“I am very grateful to my team and all of Holland & Barrett’s colleagues who have worked tirelessly to support millions of customers through the pandemic while also undergoing a technology-led transformation to support each customer’s personal wellness journeys,” he added.
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