Boots chief executive officer Ornella Barra is stepping down after leading the British drug store chain for almost a decade.
Barra will become chair of the board of directors, replacing her partner Stefano Pessina, and will oversee the company’s ESG agenda. Pessina, who is also a major shareholder in Boots, will stay as a director, the company said Monday.
Boots’ former owner Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. was bought last year by Sycamore Partners for $10 billion, in a transaction which allowed Pessina to increase his stake. Boots was separated from the US pharmacy business to operate as a private, UK-headquartered company led by Barra.
Beyond the British chain, The Boots Group includes pharmacy-led health and beauty businesses globally, along with a pharmaceutical wholesale operation in Germany. Barra has led the company since 2016 when she became co-chief operating officer of Walgreens Boots Alliance.
Anthony Hemmerdinger, Boots senior vice president and managing director responsible for UK, Ireland and Opticians, will take on more responsibilities including the No7 Beauty label and all group-level functions, the company said.
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