John Lewis bolsters board and audit committee

John Lewis Partnership has announced the appointment of Clare Swindell to its board of directors and Jane Hanson CBE as an independent external member of the audit and risk committee.

Swindell was most recently the co-chief executive for National Lottery operator Camelot, while Hanson has over 30 years of experience in executive and non-executive director roles in consumer-focused boards in both the private and public sectors. 

In her new role, Swindell will also chair the retailer’s audit and risk committee, as she replaces ex-Hobbs boss Nicky Dulieu, who stepped down from the board in December 2023 after seven months. 

Meanwhile, Hanson succeeds Sharon Fennessy, who will step down in April after more than eight years on the board, in line with good corporate governance practice. 

Prior to her time at Camelot, Swindell was the group CFO at Tesco’s customer data analytics company Dunnhumby. This came after she spent over 17 years at the supermarket group’s finance department. 

Sharon White, chair of John Lewis, said: “Clare Swindell’s broad range of skills and experience in leading retail and consumer businesses will be a real asset to the Partnership.

“We also welcome Jane Hanson whose experience across accounting, risk and corporate governance roles in financial services and consumer-focused sectors will bring valuable insight to the audit and risk committee.”

She added: “I would like to thank both Sharon Fennessy, for her outstanding contribution to the Partnership these past eight years, and Nicky Dulieu, for her highly effective time on the board.”