DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreen Co. veteran Richard Ashworth has been appointed director of health care, health and beauty for the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland at Alliance Boots GmbH.

“Richard’s two decades of health care experience, leadership and service to Walgreens in a variety of roles has been invaluable to our company as we have continued to develop our strategy to transform community pharmacy,” says Walgreens president and chief executive officer Greg Wasson. “His move to Alliance Boots represents yet another step forward and is further testament to the strong and steady progress we are making in advancing our strategic partnership.”

The strategic partnership linking Walgreens and Alliance Boots was announced in June 2012, when the companies launched a two-step integration process. Since then the two organizations established a joint venture in Switzerland and transitioned key Walgreens and Alliance Boots executives to that entity.

“[Ashworth’s] appointment further illustrates the progress we continue to make towards achieving our vision for the creation of the first global health and well-being enterprise,” Alliance Boots executive chairman Stefano Pessina says. “As he familiarizes himself with the UK and Irish markets, Richard’s experience at Walgreens will bring positive benefits to Boots and the delivery of its health care plans as well as help further combine best practices of our two companies.”

Ashworth had been Walgreens’ corporate operations vice president for the western United States, a post he had held since 2011, overseeing the 2,000-store division’s overall development and growth.

A pharmacist, he joined Walgreens in 1992 as a service clerk, and later held various store operations leadership positions from pharmacy supervisor to market vice president.

He was promoted to executive vice president of pharmacy benefit management services for the company’s Walgreens Health Initiatives subsidiary in 2007. In 2010 Ashworth was named vice president of pharmacy operations.