John Lewis Partnership appoints first independent directors

Retail group John Lewis Partnership has appointed Dame Clare Tickell and Michael Herlihy as its first independent directors.

Reporting to the chairman, the new full-time roles are designed to provide “insight and challenge,” said John Lewis Partnership in a statement, and will sit on the board alongside three non-executive directors.

Dame Clare Tickell, currently non-executive director at the National Audit Office, chair of the board at the Early Intervention Foundation and a fellow of the RSA will join the company on October 14, while Michael Herlihy, who was appointed as partnership secretary and a member of the partnership’s executive team in April 2018, will begin his new role from February 3, 2020.

Commenting on her new role, Tickell, said: “I am delighted to be joining the Partnership at a time of such critical change. I’ve been a long-time admirer of its principles and look forward to taking up this important role.”

Sir Charlie Mayfield, chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, added: “I’m delighted with these appointments and the experience both Clare and Michael will bring to these roles. The Independent Directors are new roles formed as part of our review of the Partnership’s governance structure.

“They are designed to provide a source of insight and challenge on the extent to which they are upholding the Principles of the Constitution. Free from operational responsibilities, the Independent Directors work on behalf of the Chairman and Trustees of the Constitution, and will play a critical role in ensuring the integrity of the Partnership.”

The John Lewis Partnership is the largest employee-owned business in the UK, with 83,900 employees, and owns and operates John Lewis and Partners and Waitrose and Partners. The business has annual gross sales of over 11.7 billion pounds, almost 400 shops and an online business.