Michelle Boothroyd departs Grainger for Chief People Officer role at UK health and wellbeing retailer Holland & Barrett
Michelle Boothroyd has joined Holland & Barrett as Chief People Officer. She was previously at real estate investment trust Grainger where she held the same role. Her CV also includes stints at Nationwide Building Society and Santander UK.
In a LinkedIn post, Boothroyd said: “Holland & Barrett has been helping people live better, for longer, by making health and wellness a way of life for many years. I have been inspired by their evidence led advice and science based approach to helping customers to back your body. What really resonates with me is the opportunity to bring that same philosophy to our colleagues too.”
“I believe great organisations are built when we back our people. When we listen, invest in their potential, create opportunities to grow and build an environment where everyone can thrive. Our culture is what makes us special which I have seen over the last couple of weeks when I have been speaking to colleagues across our stores and hubs.”
She added: “There is something incredibly exciting about joining a business with over 150 years of heritage, while looking to the future with clear strategic direction and leadership commitment to our people. I’m looking forward to listening and learning from colleagues across the business, and continuing to build a culture where our people feel supported, empowered and confident, where everyone can thrive, and to those colleagues who I have had the pleasure to meet, thank you for making me feel so welcome.”
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Vineta Bajaj, Group CFO, Holland & Barrett, is part of our sister title RTIH’s 2026 Innovation Awards judging panel.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out the 2025 winners here.
RTIH’s 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
