Alliance Boots’ health and beauty head takes on Walgreens role

Alliance Boots has announced that Alex Gourlay, the chief executive officer of its health and beauty division, has been appointed as executive vice-president and president of customer experience and daily living at Walgreens.

He will lead an enhanced Walgreens Daily Living business offering, overseeing customer experience, US merchandising, marketing, customer insights, daily living products and promotions, as part of the strategic partnership between the two companies.

Following on from this appointment, Simon Roberts has been selected as Alliance Boots' new managing director for health and beauty in the UK and Ireland, while Ken Murphy will take up the role of managing director for health and beauty international and brands.

All of these management changes will come into effect on October 1st 2013.

Stefano Pessina, executive chairman of Alliance Boots, said: "Walgreens' consumer profile in the US is remarkably similar to Boots in the UK. We expect that further reciprocal appointments will follow over time as we increasingly work closely together."