What note will Sir Charlie Mayfield, the outgoing chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, leave for his successor, Dame Sharon White, when she takes over next month? The reshuffle has not only resulted in the departure of the managing directors of both businesses – Rob Collins at Waitrose and Paula Nickolds at John Lewis – but also appears to muddy the waters on lines of responsibility for the two brands. It’s clear that, given its increasingly straitened finances, the group’s top-heavy management structure needed to be brought into line, but such change would be challenging even with an experienced retailer and John Lewis lifer in the chair. To avoid its rivals’ fate, John Lewis will need to make its own tough moves on costs while carefully preserving the service culture and staff care it claims are at the heart of its brand. John Lewis is the country’s largest employee-owned business, with more than 80,000 staff, known as partners.

Source: The Guardian January 12, 2020 06:56 UTC