Mr Main joined the organisation in October having spent 12 years at Alliance Healthcare – the last eight of which as managing director – before retiring in March 2017.

Mr Main will help the HDA – which represents the UK’s largest wholesalers – “build and broaden its leadership role in the UK’s medicines distribution and wholesale sector at a time of immense change in the medicines supply chain”, the association said yesterday (November 13).

“Based on his 30 years’ business experience…Jeremy will be working closely with the HDA council and executive director to identify future strategic challenges to the sector, while addressing immediate issues such as Brexit and the implementation of the Falsified Medicines Directive,” it added.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Main said: “I am delighted to join the HDA at a time when the association is working extremely hard to address the ever-increasing number of challenges facing its members and supply chain partners.”