Waitrose managing director Mark Price to step down and be succeeded by Rob Collins
The John Lewis Partnership has confirmed that Mark Price is to step down as managing director of Waitrose and leave the Partnership next April after 33 years.
In a statement, the retailer said Price had worked with John Lewis Partnership chairman, Sir Charlie Mayfield, to agree the timing of his leaving “in the best interests of the business”.
He will be succeeded by Waitrose retail director Rob Collins.
Mayfield said: “Mark is pursuing new opportunities, but he will remain a passionate advocate of the Partnership and its ownership model. He has had a long and distinguished career with the Partnership and his leadership of Waitrose has seen outstanding success. As a member of the Partnership Board for 11 years and deputy chairman since 2013, Mark has played a key role in steering the Partnership and has been a valued and trusted colleague.”
Meanwhile, Collins has worked with the Partnership for 22 years, initially with John Lewis in a number of senior roles before moving to Waitrose in 2007 to establish its e-commerce business. In 2010 he was appointed personnel director and in early 2012 took up the role of retail director.
Mayfield added: “Rob Collins has been a central figure in Waitrose’s management team for a number of years and his strong leadership skills and operational success have ensured that he has been a central part of the Board’s thinking on succession planning for some time. I’m confident that he will make the step-up to the managing dDirector role quickly and effectively.”
