Tamara Rajah Non-Executive Director - HealthTech, Holland & Barrett
Previously
Non-Executive Director and Founding Trustee, ScaleUp Institute,Partner, McKinsey & Company
Company
Founded in 1870, Holland & Barrett is one of the world’s leading health and wellness retailers and the largest in Europe, supplying its customers with a wide range of vitamins, minerals, health supplements, specialist foods and natural beauty products. It has over 1,300 stores in 16 countries and a strong online offer. They were acquired by L1 Retail in August 2017 and are on a transformational journey to become a global health and wellness platform. The company has attractive growth positions in international markets, a growing online presence, and a leading customer loyalty programme with over 10 million active cardholders.
Search Background
Holland & Barrett were looking for a Board Member who could support their digital and transformation activities on their journey to becoming a global health and wellness platform.
Requirements
It was agreed that we needed to identify a Non-Executive Director who could add a lens of modernity to the Board, through having either played a role in the start-up ecosystem, or ideally through having been a Founder themselves. Subject matter expertise was also important, meaning the requirement for someone with a level of expertise around health and/or wellness, within the tech and digital ecosystem.
Result
After an extensive international search, we placed Tamara Rajah into the role. She brings the unique combination of having spent 11 years at McKinsey, ultimately as a Partner, focussing on technology, innovation and entrepreneurship in life sciences and healthcare globally, before then becoming a Founder herself. She is concurrently the Founder and CEO of Live Better With and is also a NED for Nationwide Building Society.
Michael Casey
Chairman of the Executive, Holland & Barrett
Erevena has been a trusted adviser and partner to L1 Retail on a number of senior level appointments. Maria and Flo really listened to us and helped to shape and adapt the brief to our needs. We met with a number of high quality candidates in quite a fast paced process, and are really delighted to have Tamara join the Board. Tamara is a great fit for what we are looking to achieve and has had immediate impact in shaping the future for H&B!
