The John Lewis Partnership has announced that its chief executive officer Nish Kankiwala will return to a non-executive role by March 2025, with the company deciding not to replace the position as part of its ongoing transformation.

The retail group, which owns John Lewis department stores and Waitrose supermarkets, said Kankiwala will transition to a non-executive board advisor role, supporting chairman Jason Tarry and the Partnership Board. The chief executive position, which was created in March 2023, will be abolished, with Tarry set to chair both the Executive Team and Partnership Board.

The changes come as part of a significant progression in the company's transformation over the past two years. Kankiwala, who moved from his previous role as a non-executive director to become the partnership's first-ever chief executive officer, was initially appointed for a two-year period to help accelerate the transformation phase.

Reflecting on his tenure, Kankiwala said: "It's been the privilege of my life to lead the Partnership as CEO during this period of intense transformation. I am hugely proud of what we've achieved so far - thanks to the hard work and dedication of our Partners. I have every confidence in Jason taking the Partnership from strength to strength."

Chairman Jason Tarry praised Kankiwala's contribution, stating: "I would like to thank Nish for the pivotal role he has played for the Partnership, first as Non-Executive Director of the Board and recently as CEO. In the past two years he has been instrumental in accelerating the transformation of the Partnership."

Rita Clifton, deputy chairman and chair of the nomination committee, explained the rationale behind the original creation of the chief executive role: "We created the CEO role at the beginning of 2023 because of the scale of the transformation and intense level of commercial focus needed in such unprecedented market circumstances."

The John Lewis Partnership, Britain's largest employee-owned business with over 70,000 partners, operates 34 John Lewis shops and 314 Waitrose stores across the UK. The company has recently reported improved financial performance, including a return to full-year profit and enhanced cash flows to support investment for growth.

The leadership changes mark another significant step in the ongoing transformation of the retail group, as it continues to adapt to changing market conditions and consumer behaviour in the British retail sector.

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