Boots rejigs senior management

Boots the Chemist has restructured its top management. Director Martin Bryant is taking charge of the chain’s three business units.

The former Boots Opticians managing director becomes director of marketing businesses. He will be responsible for Boots the Chemist’s leisure, healthcare, and beauty & personal care divisions – together worth 3.8bn in annual sales.

Peter Shotter, director of the 1.6m healthcare division, replaces Bryant as director of stores, while director of marketing, Richard Holmes, takes charge of healthcare. Recent appointment David Clayton-Smith, who has managed Boots’ involvement with the Millennium Dome, becomes director of customer marketing.

Steve Russell, Boots the Chemists managing director, says: “Today’s changes will mean a smaller executive, revised responsibilities for our most senior management, and new ways in which we will organise their work.”

The reshuffle follows a successful Christmas for Boots, after it increased like-for-like sales in its healthcare and beauty & personal care divisions during a tough period for high street retailers.

However, Bryant’s role will include solving problems in the chain’s kitchen, home, entertainment and gift ranges, which had flat sales over Christmas.