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Ofcom chief executive Sharon White named as John Lewis chairwoman £1million job


John Lewis names first chairwoman in its 155-year history: ‘Unconventional’ Ofcom chief executive, 52, with no retail experience who will make £1million a year

  • Sharon White will take over from Sir Charlie Mayfield at the beginning of 2020 
  • White, 52, joined Ofcom in 2015 from a senior civil servant role at the Treasury 
  • She was rumoured to be in the running for next Governor of Bank of England 
  • White is married to Robert Chote, head of Office for for Budget Responsibility

John Lewis has appointed the first ever female chairwoman in its 155-year history. 

Sharon White, 52, will leave her job as chief executive of Ofcom to take over from current chairman of the retailer Sir Charlie Mayfield at the beginning of next year.

Cambridge-educated Ms White had a number of senior civil servant roles at the Treasury and Ministry of Justice before she joined the media watchdog in 2015.

The 52-year-old has no formal retail experience and has been described as an ‘unlikely candidate’ by her predecessor.  

She is married to Robert Chote, who is head of the Office for Budget Responsibility, with whom she has two children. The couple have been repeatedly dubbed ‘Mr and Mrs Treasury’. 

The mother-of-two was rumoured to be in the running to become the next Governor of the Bank of England, a £480,000-a-year role. 

John Lewis has appointed Sharon White, 52, as the first ever female chairwoman in its 155-year history

John Lewis has appointed Sharon White, 52, as the first ever female chairwoman in its 155-year history 

After becoming Second Permanent Secretary in 2013, The Voice named Ms White as the seventh most powerful black person in Britain. 

She was born to Jamaican immigrant parents and was brought up in Leyton, east London, where she went to a state secondary school. 

She is married to Robert Chote, who is head of the Office for Budget Responsibility, with whom she has two children

She is married to Robert Chote, who is head of the Office for Budget Responsibility, with whom she has two children

Ms White graduated from Cambridge with an economics degree before studying for her Master’s at University College London. 

Sir Charlie said: ‘I readily recognise that Sharon is not the conventional retail choice. 

‘But these are not conventional retail times, nor is the Partnership a conventional company,’ he said.

‘Sharon is an inspirational leader with the personal and professional skills to ensure the Partnership continues to innovate and change while at the same time retaining and strengthening our distinctive character and democratic vitality.’   

Ms White said: ‘I am a passionate believer in the Partnership: Partners working together for each other’s wellbeing with the confidence to invest for the long-term and a focus on delivering for our customers in a rapidly changing retail environment.

‘John Lewis & Partners and Waitrose & Partners are not merely British retail icons, but also a model of a better way to do business.’

Cambridge-educated Ms White (pictured giving evidence to a digital culture media and sport committee) had a number of senior civil servant roles at the Treasury and Ministry of Justice before she joined the media watchdog in 2015

Cambridge-educated Ms White (pictured giving evidence to a digital culture media and sport committee) had a number of senior civil servant roles at the Treasury and Ministry of Justice before she joined the media watchdog in 2015

Speculation over who would take the reins pointed to internal candidates such as finance boss Patrick Lewis or experienced retailers such as former WH Smith chief Kate Swann.

Ms White is expected to step down from her role as CEO of Ofcom around the end of this year. The regulator will now begin looking for her successor.

Lord Burns, chairman of Ofcom, said: ‘Under Sharon’s leadership, Ofcom has helped to deliver ultrafast broadband, widespread 4G mobile and now 5G, and became the first independent regulator of the BBC.’

‘She leaves Ofcom as a regulator with a relentless focus on the consumer interest; making sure people and businesses can get the best out of their communications services.’ 

The 52-year-old (pictured at the Royal Television society Cambridge Convention in Septmber 2017) has no formal retail experience and has been described as an 'unlikely candidate' by her predecessor

The 52-year-old (pictured at the Royal Television society Cambridge Convention in Septmber 2017) has no formal retail experience and has been described as an ‘unlikely candidate’ by her predecessor



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