Former John Lewis Partnership executive Manish Bhagat joins Boots UK as Customer Transformation Director

Manish Bhagat has stepped into the role of Customer Transformation Director at Boots UK, while also taking on the operational leadership and stewardship of the retailer’s Advantage card and CRM efforts.

His CV includes stints at Accenture and John Lewis Partnership, where he spent nine years, serving as Head of Customer & Marketing Transformation.

In a LinkedIn post, he said: “Boots is a brand that holds a special place in the hearts of millions, and the opportunity to lead the next evolution of the Advantage card, our iconic loyalty proposition, is a true honour. We are at a pivotal moment where customer insights, technology, and brand partnerships converge to create relevant, personalised and valued experiences for our customers.”

He added: “I am absolutely thrilled to have teamed up once again with the visionary Charlotte Lock (Customer & Marketing Director) in accelerating this transformation. It is also a privilege to collaborate with such distinguished industry leaders as Steve Ager, Paula Bobbett, Mary Owen, and the many other leaders driving enterprise wide transformation across the business. The energy within the team is infectious, the scale of ambition is unmatched, and the values are deeply held. I am truly excited to be part of this journey, reinforcing Boots' commitment to keeping our customers at the very heart of everything we do.”

2026 RTIH Innovation Awards

CRM programmes will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.

Check out our 2025 winners here.

Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”

“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”

He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”

Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.