John Lewis appoints former Tesco exec as Waitrose MD

The John Lewis Partnership has appointed Tom Denyard as the managing director of Waitrose. 

Denyard moves from Tesco, where he has held a number of senior roles including managing director of Tesco Online, CEO of Tesco Mobile and COO of Tesco stores in Malaysia. He also held various positions in food buying at Tesco. 

He began his career at Unilever where he held a variety of roles across sales, marketing, category, strategy and general management. He was also head of Brand for Food at Marks and Spencer.

Denyard will join the group in January, succeeding James Bailey who has decided to leave Waitrose at the end of September. Tina Mitchell, currently retail director, is stepping up as interim managing director until Denyard arrives. 

Jason Tarry, chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, said: “I’m delighted to appoint Tom as the managing director for Waitrose. Tom’s blend of brand, customer, commercial and operational experience make him the ideal person to take the business forward. 

“I’m confident that under his guidance, Waitrose will continue to thrive and innovate, delivering exceptional quality and service to our customers, building on the impressive progress made by James Bailey and the Waitrose team.”

Denyard added: “I’m incredibly proud and excited to take on the role of managing director for Waitrose and join a broader partnership I hugely admire. Waitrose is a brilliant brand with wonderful values and fantastic partners, which bring them to life day in and day out for our customers.

“I can’t wait to start the work of building on the terrific progress James and the whole team have made in enhancing the customer offer in recent years, and ensuring Waitrose is the destination for quality food and outstanding service. It’s a massively exciting time for the brand and the partnership; I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work with partners to bring continued success.”