Paul Hornby follows The Very Group departure by joining Bestway Healthcare (UK) as Chief Digital and Technology Officer

Paul Hornby has been appointed by Bestway Healthcare (UK) as Chief Digital & Technology Officer

He was previously Digital Customer Experience Director at The Very Group, and his CV also includes stints as Director of E-commerce at Matalan and Head of Digital Transformation at Shop Direct.

In a LinkedIn post, Hornby said: "It's been a whirlwind first week since starting a new position as Chief Digital & Technology Officer. I've loved getting out and meeting some of the team, as well as seeing different parts of the business.”

“I feel really lucky to have the opportunity to bring the Digital and Technology teams together at such an exciting business and look forward to seeing how we can work together to transform the world of pharmacy for our customers and colleagues over the next few years."

Bestway Healthcare is part of the Bestway Group. Founded in 1976, the group is owned by the Pervez, Choudrey and Sheikh families, serving 12 million customers and employing over 28,000 individuals.

Its retail pharmacy business unit operates Well Pharmacy, the largest independent retail pharmacy chain in the UK and second largest overall. It operates a nationwide network of over 750 pharmacies, serving over two million people every month and delivering over 400k consultations annually.

Also forming part of the pharmacy business is John Bell & Croyden, a London-based luxury health, beauty and pharmacy specialist established in 1798, and a number of trading websites including Chemist.net.

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Physical stores will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards. which will open for entries in March, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.