Alex Baldock will become the new CEO at Boots in the autumn, the multiple has announced.
He will replace Boots UK and Ireland MD Anthony Hemmerdinger, who will continue in his role until Baldock arrives.
Baldock is currently chief executive at Currys PLC. He said “Boots is an iconic, trusted brand with a strong heritage”.
“This is an exciting new chapter for Boots, which is uniquely well-positioned to meet growing needs in beauty, health and wellness.”
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Baldock previously served as chief executive of retailer The Very Group, formerly known as Shop Direct, and MD at finance provider Lombard.
The Boots Group board of directors said Baldock is an “experienced, transformational leader with a track record of success” and are pleased he will join them “on our next phase of transformation, growth and investment”.
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It also thanked departing MD Hemmerdinger for his “commitment and dedication to Boots” since joining Boots as a Saturday boy when he was a teenager.
He took on additional responsibilities following previous Boots CEO Ornella Barra leaving the role in February to become chair of The Boots Group.
“His leadership has been pivotal in reinforcing Boots leading position in beauty, health and wellness – demonstrated by 20 consecutive quarters of like-for-like retail share growth and customer satisfaction improvements,” the board of directors said.
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Barra became chief executive of The Boots Group in August 2025 after US private equity firm Sycamore Partners bought Walgreens Boots Alliance.
As a part of that sale, The Boots Group began operating as a private standalone company.
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This week Boots announced it was funding new dementia research.
It also launched a private bone health scan service to help “identify early risks of osteoporosis”.
And in March, it announced an in-person weight loss services pilot would expand to 75 pharmacies, as it backed community pharmacy delivering nationally commissioned weight loss services.
