John Lewis has announced that Jason Tarry, the former head of Tesco’s UK business, will become its next chairman, starting in September.
He will succeed Dame Sharon White, who announced last year that she would step down at the end of her term.
The John Lewis Partnership, which includes the John Lewis department stores and Waitrose supermarkets, has faced challenges in recent years, leading to store closures and job cuts.
However, it recently reported a return to profitability.
Mr. Tarry, who will be the seventh chairman of John Lewis, expressed his excitement about leading the company, calling it a “great privilege.”
Dame Sharon, the first woman to lead John Lewis, faced criticism during her tenure, including controversy over potentially changing the partnership’s employee-owned structure and her lack of retail experience.
However, she oversaw the partnership’s financial recovery, with the company reporting a profit of £56m last year compared to a £234m loss the year before.
In a statement, Rita Clifton, deputy chairman of John Lewis, praised Dame Sharon for successfully leading the partnership through challenging times, including the Covid pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis.
Mr. Tarry, who has over 33 years of experience at Tesco, including as chief executive of its UK and Ireland business, said he is honored to succeed Dame Sharon and looks forward to upholding the partnership’s values of trust, value, quality, and service.
Retail analyst Zoe Mills noted that Mr. Tarry’s experience makes him well-suited to rejuvenate the John Lewis Partnership.
However, she highlighted the challenge of competing with Marks & Spencer, which poses a threat to John Lewis’s long-term success in both clothing and grocery sales.
