// Tesco chair John Allan is set to step down from his role at the supermarket giant
// Allan is accused of acting in an inappropriate and unprofessional manner from four female employees
Tesco’s John Allan will be stepping down from his role as chair of the board and a director of the business, as allegations of misconduct “risk becoming a distraction” to the supermarket.
The news comes a week after Allan was accused of acting in an inappropriate and unprofessional manner by four female employees.
Three of these allegations are vigorously denied by Allan, for the other he has “unreservedly apologised for the comment he made”.
He was appointed in 2015, and his tenure as chair was due to end shortly.
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Tesco said a succession planning process “had already been initiated over recent months and is expected to conclude in the near future”.
Tesco non-executive director Byron Grote said: “John has made a valuable contribution to Tesco during his 8 years as chair. He has successfully led the board through the turnaround and Covid whilst helping to rebuild the business.
“While we have received no complaints about John’s conduct and made no findings of wrongdoing, these allegations risk becoming a distraction to Tesco. On behalf of the board, I thank him for his substantial contribution to the business. We are well advanced in our search for a new chair and will make an announcement in due course.”
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