John Lewis Partnership bolsters its senior management team

The group’s former managing director of partnership services, Patrick Lewis, will take on the role of group finance director.

Lewis, who started at the partnership in 1994 and joined the board in February 2009, will take up his new position on September 14.

Acting group finance director Loraine Woodhouse will become the new finance director of Waitrose, while Bérangère Michel becomes John Lewis’s finance director. Michel was director of supply chain strategy at John Lewis and will change positions on September 1.

Michel, who joined John Lewis Partnership in April 2008 as group head of financial strategy, takes over from Rachel Osborne, who is leaving to take up a new role at Vodafone.

Woodhouse will start her new role on October 5, taking over from Tom Athron, who will become group development director. That role had existed previously in the partnership and will be reinstated for Athron.

Next phase of development

John Lewis Partnership chairman Sir Charlie Mayfield said: “I am delighted to announce these four senior appointments today. They are significant as the partnership enters its next phase of development.

“I am confident that all four individuals will make strong contributions to the partnership in their new roles. I’m particularly pleased that we were able to make all these senior appointments from within the deep talent pool that we have inside the partnership.

“I want to thank Rachel Osborne for the tremendous contribution she has made over the last four years and wish her every success in her new role.”