The British trading group John Lewis Partnership has to fill a key position. Sharon White, the chairwoman of the board of directors, has asked the board to initiate the search for a successor, the parent company of the department store chains John Lewis and Waitrose said on Monday. The reason given was that White had entered the “final phase” of her five-year contract, which runs until February 2025, and would not be extending it.
According to the company, the search process now underway will be led by White’s deputy Rita Clifton. The lengthy procedure is not unusual at John Lewis. White’s appointment was also preceded by a search process that lasted several months. The aim is to ensure “a smooth and orderly succession plan and handover,” explained the outgoing head of the board of directors, who took up her post in February 2020.
White emphasized that she had “led the retailer through the pandemic and the cost of living crisis” and initiated comprehensive reforms at the ailing company. Recently, however, the company was still in the red.
In the spring, White also attracted public criticism when she considered bringing in external investors. John Lewis is considered an institution in Great Britain because the company is entirely owned by its employees.