Ofcom boss Sharon White chosen as next John Lewis chair
Ofcom boss Sharon White is set to replace Sir Charlie Mayfield as the next chair of John Lewis, taking on the role as the retailer battles to recover from a recent plunge in profits and tough trading conditions on the high street.
White, who is currently chief executive of the UK’s communications regulator, is set to take the £990,000-a-year post in early 2020, concluding the department store chain’s hunt to replace Mayfield, who announced his plans to depart late last year.
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A former World Bank senior economist and adviser in the Prime Minister’s Policy Unit during Tony Blair’s reign, White is now set to take on one of the most high-profile jobs in retail, as John Lewis struggles with a swathe of high street challenges.
White, who is set to become the group’s first female chair in its history, has seen off a number of possible contenders to take the top job at the group, which owns both Waitrose and the John Lewis chain.
Waitrose boss Rob Collins and former SSP chief executive Kate Swann had both been speculated as possible contenders in the running.
White is also a non-executive board member of Barratt Developments, the UK FTSE 100 house builder and a trustee of Sadler’s Wells Trust. She is a trained economist and studied at Cambridge University and University College London.
Sir Charlie Mayfield, who has been at the helm of the company for more than a decade, said: “I readily recognise that Sharon is not the conventional retail choice. But these are not conventional retail times, nor is the partnership a conventional company.”
“I look forward to welcoming Sharon to the partnership around the turn of the year and to working with her during a thorough handover. 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.”
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White said the new title was a “great honour”.
She added: “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. 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.”