If you wanted a new shirt that wouldn’t fall apart, or your tablecloth was looking threadbare, there weren’t many other options. Before joining Ofcom, Sharon was Second Permanent Secretary at the Treasury, responsible for overseeing the public finances and before that she held Board level positions at the Ministry of Justice and the Department for International Development. And in the face of … They're still counting the votes' Video, 00:03:14, 'What do you mean? Video, 00:01:05'Stop the count' or 'count the votes'? John Lewis & Partners and Waitrose & Partners are not merely British retail icons, but also a model of a better way to do business. She will take up the role when Sir Charlie Mayfield steps down in early 2020.

.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link{color:inherit;}.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited{color:#696969;}.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link:hover,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited:hover,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link:focus,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited:focus{color:#B80000;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link::after,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited::after{content:'';position:absolute;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0;z-index:2;}John Lewis targets new services to deliver growth. Video, 00:01:05, Searching for a safe place for my family. The Partnership operates on strong democratic principles, which means that every Partner has a say in how the organisation is run. Sharon White has been the Chief Executive Officer of the UK’s communication regulator Ofcom since March 2015. The 91-year-old partnership, which includes Waitrose, has seen a …

He joined SmithKline Beecham as Marketing Manager for the Lucozade account in 1992, moving to the post of Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Co in 1996, working with consumer and retail organisations with particular reference to e-commerce. In her first broadcast interview, the chairman Sharon White, has been speaking to our business correspondent Emma Simpson. John Lewis Partnership Trust for Pensions, © Copyright John Lewis Partnership Plc 2020, Financial results, reports and presentations, Corporate Responsibility Reports and Statements, John Lewis Partnership appoints Sharon White as Chairman.

Sharon White, Chairman designate, said: “It is a great honour to be asked to succeed Charlie as the sixth Chairman of the John Lewis Partnership. Charlie Mayfield became the Partnership’s fifth Chairman in March 2007. She has also worked as an adviser at the Prime Minister's Policy Unit and in Washington DC as a senior economist at the World Bank. She subsequently took on a role as Prime Minister’s Advisor on Welfare Reform in the Downing Street Policy Unit and then moved to become Senior Economist on Poverty Reduction and Economic Management at The World Bank.

With more shoppers having moved online during the pandemic, John Lewis is now looking to offer more virtual services to reach new customers and aims to do 70% of its business online. Charlie was knighted in 2013 for services to business.

Video, 00:04:51, 'What do you mean? or much of the 20th century, John Lewis and Marks & Spencer didn’t have to try that hard.

Read about our approach to external linking. After reading Economics at Cambridge University and attaining a Masters degree from University College, London, Sharon began her career at HM Treasury before moving to the post of First Secretary at the British Embassy. John Lewis is set to remove its 'never knowingly undersold' price promise as it moves towards a 'digital first' sales model. Sharon is also a non-executive Board member of Barratt Developments Plc, the UK FTSE 100 house builder, a Trustee of Sadler’s Wells Trust Ltd and is a visiting fellow of Nuffield College, University of Oxford. Searching for a safe place for my family. Tricky. Its commercial strategy is focused on differentiation rather than scale, through investment in innovation and Partner led service. Sir Charlie Mayfield, Chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, said: “Sharon White has had a stellar career in a number of senior strategic and executive roles and during a thorough, wide-ranging and extremely competitive search she stood out, both for me and for the Nominations Committee, as an exceptional candidate. Close. Video, 00:04:11, Frank Gardner meets paralysed student.

image caption Sharon White became chair of John Lewis in February. “In my current role, my vision has been to ensure that consumers in fast-moving markets get high quality, reliable services at fair prices, from thriving businesses they can trust.

Since March 2015 Sharon has been the Chief Executive of Ofcom, the UK’s communications services regulator.

She will take up the role when Sir Charlie Mayfield steps down in early 2020. Video, 00:01:34US election: Global media react to neck-and-neck race. I believe she has the vision, leadership, drive and flair to steer the Partnership through its next phase. She has to improve it with staff who’s bonuses she’s just killed. 'Stop the count' or 'count the votes'? Sharon is an inspirational leader with the personal and professional skills to ensure the Partnership continues to innovate and change while at the same time retaining and strengthening our distinctive character and democratic vitality. John Lewis chairman Sharon White targets new services to deliver growth, John Lewis targets new services to deliver growth. £400 million, good luck to her. Started as a radical idea nearly a century ago, the Partnership is now the largest employee-owned business in the UK, with 83,900 employees who are all Partners in the business and share in its profits. “I readily recognise that Sharon is not the conventional retail choice. You can find our Community Guidelines in full here. They're still counting the votes', 'People did not want to admit supporting Trump' Video, 00:00:44'People did not want to admit supporting Trump', One-minute World News. “I look forward to welcoming Sharon to the Partnership around the turn of the year and to working with her during a thorough handover. For some of the new measures, it’s gobsmacking the group hasn’t been doing it already. Are you sure you want to mark this comment as inappropriate? Video, 00:01:02One-minute World News, First-time US voter: 'Butterflies with every refresh on your browser' Video, 00:02:43First-time US voter: 'Butterflies with every refresh on your browser', US election: Global media react to neck-and-neck race. The business has annual gross sales of over £11.7bn, 400 shops and a leading online business. Are you sure you want to delete this comment?

M&S woke up first, and now John Lewis, too, with tough new bosses finally shaking up their businesses by the scruff of the neck. He received an honorary doctorate from Loughborough University in 2013 and an honorary doctorate in Science from the University of Reading in 2014. But it is also banking on a range of new services to deliver growth, from renting furniture to becoming a residential landlord, and sees an increasing shift from retail sales to services, eventually seeing 40% of its profits coming from such provision. I will step down at a time to be confirmed but likely to be in early 2020, depending on Sharon’s start and a handover period.”. John Lewis is set for a big shake up. But these are not conventional retail times, nor is the Partnership a conventional company. Dame Sharon White, chair, John Lewis Partnership From an operating profit last year of £92.6 million, it made a loss of £37 million. Social purpose and commercial success flourish best together, which is why I am looking forward so much to working with Partners as we move ahead together.”. Cut-price rivals and the internet put paid to all that.

If Sharon White really can turn this year’s zero profit into. John Lewis is planning to replace its famous promise to match rivals' prices as its new boss plans radical changes to the business. He is also a Trustee of Place2Be, a Trustee of the British Museum and the Non-Executive Chairman of QA. Charlie began his career as an officer in the Scots Guards. But there are some holes; if it really is to sell 70% of department stores’ goods online, White will have to close a lot more shops. Election results: The story so far... Video, 00:03:31Election results: The story so far... © 2020 BBC. Chancellor Rishi Sunak with John Lewis chairman Sharon White during a visit to a store in London last month, John Lewis will not give bonus to staff for first time since 1953, John Lewis could reduce size of Oxford Street store by up to 40%, John Lewis reveals top Christmas toy predictions for 2020, John Lewis confirms eight store closures including Birmingham flagship, You may not agree with our views, or other users’, but please respond to them respectfully, Swearing, personal abuse, racism, sexism, homophobia and other discriminatory or inciteful language is not acceptable, Do not impersonate other users or reveal private information about third parties, We reserve the right to delete inappropriate posts and ban offending users without notification.

Before becoming Chairman, he was responsible for the Partnership’s business strategy and business development for three years, followed by two years as Managing Director, John Lewis. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

The John Lewis Partnership today announces the appointment of Sharon White as the Partnership’s sixth Chairman. Belatedly, the old behemoths realised they’d too many stores selling goods in antiquated, inefficient ways. Video, 00:01:34, US election: Global media react to neck-and-neck race, Election results: The story so far... Video, 00:03:31. Video, 00:04:11Searching for a safe place for my family, Frank Gardner meets paralysed student. So, what can be as effective as that brilliant, historic marketing message? “I am a passionate believer in the Partnership: Partners working together for each other’s wellbeing with the confidence to invest for the long-term and a focus on delivering for our customers in a rapidly changing retail environment. It’s hard to take issue with much in today’s update from the latter.

Finally, its customer service isn’t as special as White thinks. John Lewis is planning to scrap its “never knowingly undersold” promise after nearly a century, its new boss has said, amid a radical overhaul of the business. Charlie is Chair of the Productivity Leadership Group and is the President of the Employee Ownership Association. They're still counting the votes' Video, 00:03:14'What do you mean? Video, 00:02:42John Lewis targets new services to deliver growth, Up Next, Biden: 'Each ballot must be counted' Video, 00:01:45Biden: 'Each ballot must be counted'.