Holland & Barrett appoints Alex Gourlay as executive chair
Health and wellness retailer Holland & Barrett has appointed former Walgreens Boots Alliance co-chief operating officer Alex Gourlay as executive chair.
He will succeed Michael Casey, who will remain as a non-executive board member and return to the retailer’s parent company, LetterOne, to lead a new business investment impact unit.
Casey said: “Holland & Barrett is a business with strong growth momentum, having just achieved its best Christmas trading period ever. I have every confidence the team will go from strength to strength under Alex’s proven leadership.”
A qualified pharmacist, Gourlay was the co-chief operating officer at the Walgreens Boots Alliance healthcare, pharmacy and retail group until May 2021.
At Holland & Barrett, he will focus on delivering the retailer’s current current plan to help realise its growth potential.
Gourlay said: “I have always had huge respect for Holland & Barrett. It is a much-loved UK institution playing a vital role for health and wellness on an international scale. 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.”
