Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
The John Lewis Partnership has announced that Loraine Woodhouse will join the board on December 1 as acting group finance director.
The Partnership announced on November 17 that its finance director Helen Weir had tendered her resignation with a six month notice period. Helen will step down from the board on December 1 and commence gardening leave on January 30 2015. In the meantime, she will conclude and handover various projects related to her role.
Sir Charlie Mayfield, chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, said: “I would like to thank Helen for the valuable contribution she has made during her time in the Partnership.” She joined John Lewis in 2012 from Lloyds Banking Group where she was group executive director, retail, having been group finance director at Lloyds from 2004-2008. Prior to this, Helen was group finance director of Kingfisher and finance director of B&Q. She spent her early career at Unilever and McKinsey & Co.
Marks and Spencer has since announced that Helen has been appointed to its board as chief finance officer. She will take up her appointment on a date to be confirmed.
Loraine Woodhouse joined John Lewis Partnership in August 2013 after leaving her previous role as finance director of fashion retailer Hobbs. Sir Charlie Mayfield said: ‘I’m delighted that Loraine has agreed to join the board on an interim basis. Loraine has been leading our group finance team and is perfectly placed to lead a seamless transition.”
The John Lewis Partnership operates 43 John Lewis shops across the UK (31 department stores, 10 John Lewis at home and shops at St Pancras International and Heathrow Terminal 2), johnlewis.com, 332 Waitrose shops, waitrose.com and business to business contracts in the UK and abroad. The business has annual gross sales of over £10bn. It is the UK’s largest example of worker co-ownership where all 90,000 staff are Partners in the business.
