LONDON, Sept 12 (Reuters) - British health and beauty

retailer Boots has promoted Anthony Hemmerdinger to the managing

director role, succeeding Seb James on Nov. 4, it said on

Thursday.

Boots UK, owned by U.S. listed Walgreens Boots Alliance ( WBA )

, is one of Britain's biggest retailers, trading from

about 1,900 stores and employing 52,000.

Hemmerdinger, a former Asda supermarket executive, has been

Boots UK's retail and operations director since September 2022.

Walgreens said in July that James was stepping down.

In June it said it had no plans to sell Boots.