John Lewis shakes up management team and creates new productivity role
The John Lewis Partnership has appointed a group productivity director and announced a number of senior management changes at John Lewis.
Andrew Murphy, who has worked as John Lewis retail director for the last five years, has been appointed to the newly created role of group productivity director. In his new role, Murphy will work closely with the Chairman’s Committee and Partnership Board to develop plans that will support the John Lewis’s productivity improvements, financial strategy and the future organisation structure.
Sir Charlie Mayfield, John Lewis Partnership chairman, said: “The rapid rate of change in retail is set to continue and therefore the time is right for us to develop the thinking that will help sustain the Partnership in the next generation and I am delighted that Andrew has agreed to take up this new role. His appointment is part of the plans we are putting in place to deliver the Partnership’s strategy in the next five years and follows the announcement of Tom Athron’s appointment as group development director in June 2015.”
Online director Mark Lewis has succeeded Murphy as retail director and will take responsibility for both shop and online operations while Dino Rocos will become operations director. In addition to his current responsibilities for supply chain and merchandising, Rocos will also assume responsibility for omnichannel customer ordering, contact handling and health and safety.
Building on her current role as buying and brand director, Paula Nickolds will become commercial director and will lead the development of John Lewis’s future proposition including new store formats. Nickolds joined John Lewis as a graduate trainee in 1994.
Finally, Craig Inglis will take up the new role of customer director with his remit now including the end-to-end customer experience although he will continue to oversee marketing and customer insight. Inglis is currently marketing director at John Lewis, having joined the business in 2008.
Andy Street, managing director of John Lewis, said: “These important changes to the John Lewis Management Board place the customer at the heart of our decision making. The new John Lewis Board composition will ensure we continue to lead omnichannel retailing in the UK.”
