Holland & Barrett has appointed former StrongPoint executive Conor Crosland as its new group director of logistics and automation.

Crosland joins the health and wellness retailer after almost two years at grocery technology firm StrongPoint, where he served as implementation director.

His previous roles also include positions at TikTok and Amazon.

Announcing the move on LinkedIn, Crosland said Holland & Barrett was “a brand with huge reach and real purpose”.

“The opportunity to drive growth across their operations and supply chain at scale is one I’m incredibly excited about,” he said.

“Lots to do, can’t wait to get stuck in.”

Crosland also praised his former team at StrongPoint, highlighting the company’s work across store development, software, product and automation solutions.

“I am incredibly proud of what our team at StrongPoint built together: strong year-on-year growth across a broad portfolio of store development, software and product, and automation solutions, helping retailers enhance both their in-store and e-commerce operations across the UK and Ireland,” he said.

“The pace of what this team delivered in the time we had is something I will carry with me.”

His appointment comes as Holland & Barrett continues to invest in automation across its supply chain and distribution network.

Last year, chief financial officer Vineta Bajaj said the retailer was preparing to launch a new AutoStore system, which she described as a “game changer” for how the business moves products “from warehouse to customer”.

Bajaj said the investment showed how “finance, operations and innovation meet”, with automation playing a key role in improving productivity, cost efficiency and customer experience.

The retailer has been strengthening its operations and supply chain leadership as it looks to build a more efficient, future-ready distribution model.

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