Anthony Hemmerdinger will take up the post from 4 November 2024.

He replaces Seb James, who leaves Boots after six years.

Boots said Hemmerdinger's appointment followed a "thorough search process" which considered both "external and internal candidates".

Hemmerdinger is currently retail & operations director at Boots, a position he has held since September 2022. He originally joined the business as a Saturday boy, his first job in retail.

Read more: Boots boss Seb James quits pharmacy giant amid ongoing closures

Before joining Boots, he was chief operating officer at Asda, where he spent six years.

He previously held senior operational and strategy roles at Greene King, Sainsbury's and Carphone Warehouse, and spent 17 years at Marks & Spencer.

Hemmerdinger said he was "honoured" to be appointed managing director of Boots, describing it as "one of the UK’s most trusted brands and a place where I began my retail career with my first Saturday job as a teenager."

Read more: Boots pensions dispute: ‘Secret rule change documents’ discovered

"Boots is a terrific business that holds a unique position at the heart of the UK’s health and beauty sector, and I am extremely proud of all we have achieved over the last few years," he said.

"This is an exciting time for the company and I look forward to working with the wider team to deliver against our ambitious strategy and build on our great momentum."

Hemmerdinger lives in Sheffield with his family and is based at Boots HQ in Nottingham.

WBA's EVP and COO, Ornella Barra, said Hemmerdinger was a "great leader" with "extensive retail experience.

"Anthony has successfully guided our retail and operations team through our change journey, which has delivered consistent growth across all our categories. I am confident that he, together with our talented leadership team, will ensure that Boots maintains its very positive trajectory.

“I would also like to once again thank Seb for his leadership over the last six years. On behalf of the whole team, we wish him all the best in his next role.”

Anthony Hemmerdinger CV

Experience: spent 30 years in retail and hospitality holding senior roles at major UK brands. 

Retail skillset: Logistics, strategy, supply chain and IT.

Senior Roles at Big Brands: Boots sits alongside M&S, Sainsbury’s, Carphone Warehouse, Greene King and Asda.

Biggest challenges: As COO at Asda during lockdownhe managed stores through the intense challenges of the pandemic.

Return to Boots: He rejoined Boots in 2022 as retail director, responsible for 1,900 stores and central operations.

Healthy Glow Up: Heavily involved in expanding Boot's healthcare services, but also the sparkly refit of Boot's beauty concept stores.