John Lewis Partnership announces four senior management appointments

The John Lewis Partnership today announces four senior appointments:

- Patrick Lewis, Managing Director of Partnership Services, to become Group Finance Director
- Tom Athron, Finance Director of Waitrose, to become Group Development Director
- Loraine Woodhouse, Acting Group Finance Director, to become Finance Director of Waitrose
- Bérangère Michel, Director Supply Chain Strategy at John Lewis, to become Finance Director of John Lewis.

Patrick Lewis, Group Finance Director
Patrick is currently Managing Director of Partnership Services and will become Group Finance Director on 14 September. Patrick joined the Partnership in 1994 and his first senior role was in 1997 as the acting General Manager at John Lewis Watford. He became Director, Retail Operations in April 2007. He joined the Group Board in February 2009 when he was appointed Partners’ Counsellor and in October 2012 he was appointed to his current role of Managing Director, Partnership Services.Prior to joining the Partnership Patrick was Associate Consultant with Bain & Company and Finance Manager at Proctor and Gamble. He has an MBA from INSEAD.

Tom Athron, Group Development Director
Tom will become Group Development Director on 5 October. The role, which is a Partnership Board position, has existed previously in the Partnership and is reinstated with Tom’s appointment.Tom will be responsible for considering the future shape of the Partnership, including new business opportunities. The Group Customer Insight team and Partnership Services will both move to form part of the Development Director’s remit.Tom joined the Partnership in July 2005 as Head of Group Financial Strategy and was appointed to the Waitrose Board in August 2009 as Finance Director. Prior to this he was Buying Director at John Lewis, responsible for Electricals and Home Technology. Tom started his career in investment banking as a graduate trainee in credit finance and structured debt at Hambros.

Loraine Woodhouse, Finance Director, Waitrose
Loraine will take on her new role as Finance Director of Waitrose on 5 October, taking over from Tom Athron. Loraine joined the Partnership in August 2013 after a number of senior finance roles, most recently as Finance Director of fashion retailer Hobbs. She was appointed Acting Group Finance Director in December 2014, replacing Helen Weir.

Bérangère Michel, Finance Director, John Lewis
Bérangère will take on her new role with effect from 1 September, taking over from Rachel Osborne, who is leaving the Partnership for a new role at Vodafone. Bérangère joined the Partnership in April 2008 as Group Head of Financial Strategy and was appointed John Lewis’ Director, Supply Chain Strategy in October 2011. Before joining the Partnership, Bérangère spent 11 years at the Royal Mail in a number of finance roles, including Finance Director of the property division.Sir Charlie Mayfield, the Partnership’s Chairman, said: ‘I am delighted to announce these four senior appointments today. They are significant as the Partnership enters its next phase of development. I am confident that all four individuals will make strong contributions to the Partnership in their new roles. I’m particularly pleased that we were able to make all these senior appointments from within the deep talent pool that we have inside the Partnership.’Patrick Lewis has played a central role in the progress of the Partnership in recent years on the Group Board as both the Partners’ Counsellor and more recently as Managing Director of Partnership Services. This experience, together with his operational track record, made him an excellent candidate for the Group Finance Director role.’As Waitrose’s Finance Director, Tom Athron showed that he has the strategic insight required for the role of Group Development Director which was most recently held by Mark Price. As the landscape continues to shift in retail, it’s the right time to have one of our most able directors devote their time to looking at opportunities for the future.’Loraine Woodhouse has been excellent as Acting Group Finance Director and has clearly demonstrated the technical, strategic and leadership abilities required for a senior finance role. She will make a strong Finance Director for Waitrose.’I want to thank Rachel Osborne for the tremendous contribution she has made over the last four years and wish her every success in her new role. Bérangère Michel has been with the Partnership for seven years and has won the respect of her colleagues for her technical excellence and her strategic insight. Her promotion to such a senior role at John Lewis is well earned.’

Source : John Lewis Partnership Press Release