John Lewis makes key hires to drive transformation programme

John Lewis has poached rival Dunelm’s digital director Steve Masterton who started this week as director of online trade.

It has also raided Lululemon to woo its director of real estate, store development and strategic sales, Stephen Spencer. He will join John Lewis at the end of July as director of store of the future. 

The retailer has also appointed Rosie Hanley, head of brand marketing at eBay, as head of brand and marketing. She will also start in July.

The hirings come as John Lewis overhauls its operations to better adapt to a retail landscape transformed by shifts in consumer behaviour and Covid-19. As part of the restructuring, John Lewis is bolstering its online business, shutting some traditional department stores and is developing a new, local store format.

John Lewis executive director Pippa Wicks said: “I am delighted that Steve, Stephen and Rosie are joining John Lewis. They bring an enormous amount of talent and experience and will all play critical, leadership roles in delivering our turnaround strategy as we invest to accelerate our online business, make our existing and future new format shops extraordinary destinations, and modernise our brand. 

“These appointments build on recent momentum in John Lewis, driven by the launch of our Anyday range and the reopening of our Edinburgh shop after its three-year refurbishment.”

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