Former chief executive of clothing retailer Best & Less Holly Kramer is joining Woolworths’ board as a non-executive director.

The supermarket giant on Tuesday said Ms Kramer would join the board in the first half of 2016.

Woolworths, which also owns struggling discount retailer Big W, says Ms Kramer was responsible for Best & Less’s transformation and return to profitability.

Prior to leading Best & Less, Ms Kramer held executive roles with Bonds undergarment owner Pacific Brands and Telstra.

She currently is a non-executive director of Nine Entertainment, Australia Post and AMP.