Member Article

Well appoints new Commercial and HR Directors

Manchester-based Well, the UK’s largest independent pharmacy chain, is pleased to announce the appointment of David Hamilton as its new Commercial Director and Tracy Barton as its new HR Director.

Well, which is the new name for The Co-operative Pharmacy, is currently re-branding 780 pharmacies in the UK following Bestway Group’s £620million acquisition of the high-street pharmacy business from The Co-operative Group in October last year.

David has a broad experience across the UK healthcare sector and has been brought in to help shape the direction for the pharmacy chain and will focus on creating a compelling customer proposition, underpinned by the healthcare and wellbeing needs of customers.

He will also bring his previous experience as a community pharmacist, but also knowledge in healthcare roles with UDG plc, Bupa Home Healthcare and Medco Health Solutions, with the aim of developing new commercial opportunities with a community focus. As demand for healthcare products and services from community pharmacy grows ever greater, due to increasing pressures on the NHS, Well’s enhanced proposition aims to grow current revenues from £750million to £1billion by 2019.

Tracy joins from Asda Supermarkets, where she was initially Senior Director looking after people and customer service and then Senior Director of Organisational Effectiveness, leading the people change agenda. She has worked for Tesco as HR Director for One Stop Convenience Stores. In this role she was responsible for leading the people agenda across head office, supply chain and over 700 convenience stores. Her main areas of focus at Well will be on supporting the business as it completes its separation from The Co-operative Group, tasked with overseeing the setup of the new HR function to support the independent pharmacy business, as well as deliver the business plans. As part of the investment plan, Well is also developing the role of the pharmacy team through recruitment and training to support the healthcare needs of the local communities they serve.

Commenting on the new appointments, John Nuttall, CEO of Well said: “The appointments underline our focus on providing a proposition that responds to our customers’ healthcare needs and our aspirations to grow our business in new markets within the sector.

“I am thrilled to welcome Tracy to Well. Tracy has brought a wealth of expertise at a key time - launching our new brand; she is a great addition to the leadership team.David brings valuable knowledge and experience to the business and I am delighted that we are able to invest in strengthening our Leadership Team.” Following the takeover and separation from The Co-operative Group, Well is now the UK’s largest independent pharmacy chain and earlier this year it launched a five-year, £200million investment programme that will facilitate growth and increased access to high quality pharmacy services, providing personalised healthcare and products that meet the needs of local communities.

David commented: “I am delighted to be joining Well, especially at this exciting time in the company’s evolution. We have a great opportunity to be novel in our approach as we seek to be the preferred local pharmacy in the heart of communities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.”

Tracy commented: “It’s a really exciting time to join Well, we have a great business plan that will help us continue to build on our success and deliver the great customer care that we are known for in our communities. I’m delighted to have been appointed, and looking forward to getting started.”

Well is also investing a further £1.6million in establishing a new Head Office in Manchester, relocating 227 head office employees from the Co-operative Group HQ at Angel Square, also in Manchester.

The move to the new Well head office will take place in late 2015 (Q4), when the business will move into the 22,000 sq ft Merchants Warehouse, a Grade II listed building in Manchester’s historic Castlefield district,.

The location of the new head office was chosen in line with the heritage of the business and its historic links to the North West of England – retaining the link with the Co-operative’s ‘home town’, Manchester.

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