Marvin OnumonuJohn Lewis Partnership has appointed Helen Webb OBE (pictured) as chief people officer (CPO).
Webb has 30 years’ experience in senior people roles across retail and other sectors.
She was most recently CPO at WHSmith, where she supported the business through large-scale employee changes.
Before that, Webb was chief people and services officer at the Co-op.
Earlier in her career, she worked at Sainsbury’s as central retail director, and also held roles at Marks & Spencer and Aviva.
Webb will join the partnership on 24th November.
Webb said: “It’s an incredible privilege to join the John Lewis Partnership, a business renowned for its unique ownership model and commitment to its Partners.
“I’m passionate about creating an environment where people can thrive and feel a true sense of belonging and I’m looking forward to working with the team to build on the Partnership’s strong foundations in the People space.”
Jason Tarry, chairman of the partnership, said: “I’m delighted to appoint Helen to the Executive Team as our new Chief People Officer.
“She will be instrumental in shaping the Partnership’s people strategy, fostering our strong Partner ethos and driving talent development.
“Helen will play a crucial role in nurturing our unique Partner culture and ensuring the Partnership remains a fantastic place to work.”
Tarry added: “This is also a moment for me to express my huge gratitude to Jo Rackham, who has led brilliantly as interim Chief People Officer for the past 18 months.
“During this period, Jo has forged ahead with the People agenda and progressed important changes that are foundational to our work in the years ahead.”
