Alliance Boots appoints chief operating officers

Alliance Boots has appointed Simon Roberts and Ken Murphy to chief operating officer roles in order to help oversee the day-to-day management of its Boots businesses.

Reporting directly to Alex Gourlay, chief executive of the health and beauty division at Alliance Boots, they have been appointed to allow the firm's upper management to concentrate on the strategic direction and international expansion of the brand.

Mr Roberts is the current retail director for Boots UK and Mr Murphy occupies the role of commercial director, with both staff members set to retain responsibility for these aspects of the business.

These changes will not affect the make-up of the remainder of the Boots executive committee, while existing reporting lines will remain in place.

Mr Gourlay said: "These appointments will enable us to have an even better balance between day-to-day performance and the longer term development of the Boots UK, Boots Ireland and Boots Opticians businesses."

Earlier this month, the company announced a new partnership with the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer, which is intended to support cancer research programmes in the region.