Rupert Newman has been appointed as Celesio UK's sales director, with responsibility for AAH Pharmaceuticals.

Mr Newman was previously retail operations director for LloydsPharmacy. Prior to joining Celesio UK, he was running various regions of Sainsbury's Convenience Stores division, opening over 100 new stores along the way.

Mr Newman said:  “I want to make it simple for our customers to do business with us and help them run smoother operations. Community pharmacy is facing enormous challenges yet, with the help of the right supplier, pharmacists and pharmacy owners can better prepare and equip themselves for the changes ahead.” 

Nigel Swift, Celesio UK’s sales and marketing director, said: “It’s always rewarding to be able to recruit from within our organisation and Rupert has demonstrated the strong customer focus that makes him the ideal candidate for this role.”