Holland & Barrett hires George Goley as first tech chief

Holland & Barrett has hired former Sainsbury’s-Argos technology boss George Goley as its first chief technology officer.

The health food and supplements retailer has also named Doug Nesbit as its first group strategy and transformation director.

Holland & Barrett said these new roles had been created to help it shape the business as it starts on its “ambitious plan to secure a leadership position in the growing global market for health and wellness products and services”.

Both will report directly to CEO Peter Aldis.

“These newest appointments broaden and deepen the strength of our executive leadership team so we are ready to deliver another 10 years of market-leading growth,” said Aldis. “As a business, we need to be at the forefront of the rapidly advancing technology that is helping our customers meet their health and wellness goals. We are investing heavily in delivering more speed in the retail experience, greater convenience in service and delivery, and increasing personalisation in our brand and product propositions, both in store and online.”

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Goley has over 30 years’ experience working in retail and technology companies, having most recently been chief technology officer of Sainsbury’s-Argos and its predecessor Home Retail Group, after a number of roles in the US, including as chief information officer of Sears Online and VP of technology for Amazon.

Nesbit is a transformation and change specialist whose previous roles include commercial director for financial services at Dixons Carphone, interim integration officer at Dunelm, and various positions at Home Retail Group.

Aldis added that Holland & Barrett has “substantial headroom for further growth both here and overseas,” and said the appointments of Goley and Nesbit will put it in the “perfect position to capitalise on these opportunities and deliver our ambition to become a world leader in our sector”.