Untitled design (12)

- 45:49

Europes Retail Evolution

or listen on

Aligning Teams and Changing Mindsets: Insights from Holland & Barrett’s CPO

📍London, UK

Katya Denike, Chief Product Officer at Holland & Barrett, recently joined the OFFBounds podcast to discuss her approach to digital transformation within a 150-year-old legacy brand. With over 1,300 stores in 16 countries, Holland & Barrett is an iconic presence in European health and wellness retail. Despite its extensive heritage dating back to 1870, the company is undergoing one of its most significant transformations yet, driven by a commitment to innovate at scale.

During the conversation, Denike emphasized the dual challenges she faces: solving the immediate product or customer problems (“Problem A”) and, crucially, aligning the entire organization around the transformation vision (“Problem B”). She underscored that shifting mindsets and breaking organizational silos are often more complex than implementing new technology. For Denike, “unlearning” outdated practices is just as critical as adopting new methodologies, highlighting the necessity for cultural evolution alongside technological advancement.

 

Authenticity and informality are cornerstones of Denike’s leadership philosophy. She argues that a relaxed, open culture encourages innovation by making team members comfortable to share bold ideas. This informal approach fosters a more collaborative environment, essential for a successful digital transformation. Denike also emphasized continuous communication as pivotal, noting that reinforcing new ways of working helps sustain long-term change.

Finally, Denike shared insights into how Holland & Barrett integrates its online and offline customer journeys into a seamless experience, stressing the importance of building flexible, scalable systems that address evolving customer needs. Her key message was clear: real digital transformation is less about technology itself and more about embedding an innovative, agile mindset deeply into the organization’s DNA.

Listen more

Book Author

The Power of Positive Leadership in Retail

Few know this better than April Sabral, who began her career as a part-time sales associate at 17 and went on to lead hundreds across global brands like Starbucks, Banana Republic, and David’s Tea.

Few know this better than April Sabral, who began her career as a part-time sales associate at 17 and went on to lead hundreds across global brands like Starbucks, Banana Republic, and David’s Tea.

Book Author

Few know this better than April Sabral, who began her career as a part-time sales associate at 17 and went on to lead hundreds across global brands like Starbucks, Banana Republic, and David’s Tea.

The Power of Positive Leadership in Retail

Few know this better than April Sabral, who began her career as a part-time sales associate at 17 and went on to lead hundreds across global brands like Starbucks, Banana Republic, and David’s Tea.

Interview

Transforming Canada’s Largest Grocer into a Digital Powerhouse

Recognizing the need for change, Loblaw took a bold approach, creating a separate digital division with its own P&L, operating outside the traditional corporate structure.

Recognizing the need for change, Loblaw took a bold approach, creating a separate digital division with its own P&L, operating outside the traditional corporate structure.

Interview

Recognizing the need for change, Loblaw took a bold approach, creating a separate digital division with its own P&L, operating outside the traditional corporate structure.

Transforming Canada’s Largest Grocer into a Digital Powerhouse

Recognizing the need for change, Loblaw took a bold approach, creating a separate digital division with its own P&L, operating outside the traditional corporate structure.

Interview

Inside Ulta Beauty’s Digital Transformation: From Personalization to Marketplace

Josh Friedman, Senior Vice President of Digital & E-commerce at Ulta Beauty, shared how the company is redefining beauty retail through a blend of personalization, innovation, and omnichannel strategy.

Josh Friedman, Senior Vice President of Digital & E-commerce at Ulta Beauty, shared how the company is redefining beauty retail through a blend of personalization, innovation, and omnichannel strategy.

Interview

Josh Friedman, Senior Vice President of Digital & E-commerce at Ulta Beauty, shared how the company is redefining beauty retail through a blend of personalization, innovation, and omnichannel strategy.

Inside Ulta Beauty’s Digital Transformation: From Personalization to Marketplace

Josh Friedman, Senior Vice President of Digital & E-commerce at Ulta Beauty, shared how the company is redefining beauty retail through a blend of personalization, innovation, and omnichannel strategy.

Interview

Why Retail Leaders at Central Retail and 2degrees Put Employees First — and Saw Results

In retail, there’s a growing realization that the customer experience can only be as strong as the employee experience behind it.

In retail, there’s a growing realization that the customer experience can only be as strong as the employee experience behind it.

Interview

In retail, there’s a growing realization that the customer experience can only be as strong as the employee experience behind it.

Why Retail Leaders at Central Retail and 2degrees Put Employees First — and Saw Results

In retail, there’s a growing realization that the customer experience can only be as strong as the employee experience behind it.

Interview

Scaling Connection: Inside Mecca’s Emotion-Driven Retail Model

In an era where AI is reshaping the way we work and shop, Mecca Brands is proving that emotional intelligence may be the most powerful differentiator in modern retail

In an era where AI is reshaping the way we work and shop, Mecca Brands is proving that emotional intelligence may be the most powerful differentiator in modern retail

Interview

In an era where AI is reshaping the way we work and shop, Mecca Brands is proving that emotional intelligence may be the most powerful differentiator in modern retail

Scaling Connection: Inside Mecca’s Emotion-Driven Retail Model

In an era where AI is reshaping the way we work and shop, Mecca Brands is proving that emotional intelligence may be the most powerful differentiator in modern retail

Receive new exclusive episodes


Sign up for our newsletter now!

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

3rd Party Cookies

This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.

Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.