John Lewis has announced that Jason Tarry, the former boss of Tesco’s UK business, will be taking over the role of chairman. Tarry will be replacing Dame Sharon White, who announced last year that she would be stepping down from her position. The UK’s John Lewis department stores and Waitrose supermarkets have been facing pressure in recent years, leading to store closures and job cuts. However, the company has also announced a return to profitability.
Tarry, who has worked at Tesco for 33 years, including as the chief executive of its UK and Ireland business, will become the seventh chairman of John Lewis. He expressed his gratitude for the opportunity, calling it a “great privilege” to lead such a well-respected company. White, the first woman to hold the top position at John Lewis, left after just five years, making her the shortest-serving leader in the partnership’s history.
John Lewis recently reported a profit of £56m for the year, compared to a loss of £234m the previous year. However, the company has decided not to pay a staff bonus for the second year in a row, marking just the third time since 1953 that such an award has not been given. Rita Clifton, the deputy chairman and chair of John Lewis’s nomination committee, thanked White for guiding the company through some of its most challenging times.
Zoe Mills, a retail analyst at GlobalData, praised Tarry’s experience and expertise, saying that he was well-suited to the role of revitalizing John Lewis. Tarry himself emphasized his admiration for John Lewis’s unique employee-ownership model and commitment to customer service. He said that the company stands for trust, value, quality, and service, all of which are values he shares
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