John Lewis boss Dame Sharon White to step down in early 2025

John Lewis boss Dame Sharon White is to step down in early 2025, making her the shortest-serving chair in the partnership’s history.

White has asked the John Lewis Partnership board to initiated the process of appointing her successor.

She intends to step down when her first five-year term as chair comes to an end in February.

As part of the recruitment process, White has also asked the board to review the
accountabilities of the chair role to ensure that they “continue to support the successful
transformation of the business”.

Former Ofcom boss White has not had the easiest run since she took over the group, which operates both the department store John Lewis and Waitrose.

Since she outlined her transformation plan in 2020, she has had a global pandemic and a cost-of-living crisis to contend with.

Just last month, White revealed her five-year turnaround plan would be delayed by two years.

The partnership reported a loss of £234m last year, and although losses narrowed in its recent half-year results, it was still in the red to the tune of around £60m.

White termed the role a “special and unique role in UK business”.

“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,” she said.

“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.”

Some of her plans have been met with controversy, such as the possibility of selling a stake in the business that it explored earlier this year, which would dilute its lauded partnership model. The business is understood to have shelved this plan, which received a big backlash.

White has faced opposition from some John Lewis partners of late. She narrowly survived a confidence vote earlier this year when the partnership council, made up of more than 60 partners, said it did not have confidence in the business’ performance under White’s leadership but backed her future strategy.

Earlier this year, she hired Nish Kankiwala, previously a non-executive director at the partnership, as the business’ first CEO.