Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Recent press speculation that John Lewis managing director Andy Street is to stand as the Conservative Party candidate to be Mayor of the West Midlands has prompted the retailer to release a statement.
The department store group said: ‘Andy has indicated to the chairman that he is interested in running for the office, but at this stage has not been formally selected. A formal process within the Conservative party will now take place.
“Should Andy be successful in his application to be the Conservative Party candidate, he has agreed with the chairman that he should step down from his role and a further announcement will be made to confirm the succession plan for the future leadership of the John Lewis brand.”
Andy Street has spent his entire career at the John Lewis Partnership, joining in 1985 after graduating from Oxford University with a degree in politics, philosophy and economics.
After initial roles in department stores, head office and manufacturing units, Andy became md of John Lewis Milton Keynes in 1993, followed by the same role at Bluewater in 1998.
In 2000 he became supply chain director, followed by his appointment to the partnership board as director of personnel in 2002. Andy became md of the John Lewis Division in 2007.
He is chair of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), the body tasked with driving economic growth in the region. He is also vice chairman of Performances Birmingham Limited, which is responsible for running the city’s symphony and town halls, and he was a member of the Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Group.
In June 2015 Andy was awarded a CBE for services to the economy, in his roles as md of John Lewis and as chair of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership.
John Lewis operates 46 John Lewis shops (32 department stores, 12 John Lewis ‘at home’ stores and shops at St Pancras International and Heathrow Terminal 2) and a growing online business: johnlewis.com.
