John Lewis boss Dame Sharon White to step down

The former Ofcom chief joined the employee-owned business at the start of 2020 and has since led a major overhaul.

John Lewis Partnership chairman Sharon White has been leading a sweeping overhaul of the retail group (John Lewis/PA)

Dame Sharon White is set to step down as the boss of the John Lewis Partnership (JLP) at the end of her current five-year term, making her the shortest-serving chair in its 100-year history.

The former Ofcom chief joined the employee-owned business at the start of 2020 and has since led a major overhaul which has included a raft of store closures and a shift in new business areas such as rental accommodation.

Dame Sharon will stand down as chair of the partnership, which runs the historic department store chain and supermarket chain Waitrose, when she completes her term in February 2025.

Having led the partnership through the pandemic and the worst of the cost-of-living crisis, it is important that there is now a smooth and orderly succession process and handover

Dame Sharon White

JLP said she asked the partnership board to initiate the process to appoint a successor.

Dame Sharon said: “Having led the partnership through the pandemic and the worst of the cost-of-living crisis, it is important that there is now a smooth and orderly succession process and handover.

“The partnership is making progress in its modernisation and transformation with improving results.

“There is a long road ahead and I am committed to handing on the strongest possible partnership to my successor.”

Dame Sharon was the first woman to lead the company but faced significant scrutiny, particularly after reports earlier this year that she could be looking to introduce an external investor for the first time and potentially stop the business being entirely employee-owned.

The announcement also comes weeks after the retail group posted a £59 million loss for the six months to July and said the five-year transformation plan launched by the retail group in 2020 will take two years longer than planned.

The retail group posted a £234 million loss in the last financial year, forcing it to scrap its annual bonus for staff.

Rita Clifton, deputy chairwoman and chairwoman of the group’s nominations committee, will oversee the appointment of its next boss.

Earlier on Monday, the department store chain said predictions of the death of the high street have been “overstated”.

Writing in the retailer’s annual How We Shop, Live and Look report, John Lewis commercial director Kathleen Mitchell said: “People want to come back to shops, especially on Saturdays.

“Evening shopping has been replaced by weekend shopping. Customers are eating, drinking, spending time in our shops and enjoying all that our stores have to offer – customer numbers are up 8% on last year.

“As many families have discovered, it can be quite a good value day out, with a little self-restraint.

“A general election and – we hope – an easing of the cost-of-living crisis are likely to dominate the headlines, but on the high street we expect to see our stores become even more compelling destinations.”