Boots appoints new boss to take over in November

Boots has appointed Anthony Hemmerdinger, a former senior director of Asda and Sainsbury’s, as its new boss after current chief Sebastian James announced his departure.

Mr Hemmerdinger will take over as managing director of the pharmacy giant in November from his current role heading up the company’s retail and operations.

He takes over the high street stalwart amid a period of uncertainty over its ownership following reports in May that its US owner Walgreens was pursuing a potential sale.

Bloomberg reported in May that Walgreens Boots Alliance was reaching out to potential buyers for a possible £7 billion takeover.

The company has also been reported to be considering spinning Boots off via a float on the London Stock Exchange in recent years, which would come as a major boost to Britain’s financial markets.

Mr James, the son of the hereditary peer the 5th Baron Northbourne, was recently named as the new chief executive of private equity-backed healthcare firm Veonet, one of Europe’s largest chains of ophthalmology clinics, which treat eye conditions.

British brand SpaMedica is owned by Veonet, and does eye operations such as removing cataracts for the NHS.

He also drew headlines over the spring for endorsing Sir Keir Starmer in the run-up to the general election.

It was seen as a major endorsement because Mr James was a member of the Bullingdon Club at Oxford University alongside former Conservative prime ministers Lord David Cameron and Boris Johnson.

Mr Hemmerdinger, meanwhile, worked for Boots as a teenager in a Saturday job. He rejoined the business as retail director in September 2022, overseeing its roughly 1,900 stores across the UK and Ireland.

He has also held senior roles at Greene King, Sainsbury’s and Carphone Warehouse.

Ornella Barra, chief operating officer at Walgreens Boots Alliance’s international business, said the appointment would bring a “seamless leadership transition and enable us to build on our transformation journey apace”.

“Since he joined the Boots team in 2022, Anthony has successfully guided our retail and operations team through our change journey, which has delivered consistent growth across all our categories.”

Mr Hemmerdinger said Boots holds a “unique position at the heart of the UK’s health and beauty sector”.