John Lewis Appoints Insight Leader

UK store group The John Lewis Partnership has announced that current Lloyds Banking Group Customer Value chief Paul de Laat will move to the retailer in January to become its first Customer Insight Director.

de Laat reports directly to Chairman Charlie Mayfield and is charged with further increasing the Partnership's customer insight capabilities and developing greater understanding of shopping behaviour across both John Lewis and Waitrose.

Currently Lloyds' Customer Value Management Director, he previously held insight roles at Thomas Cook, O2 and Vodafone. Mayfield says customer insight is 'an increasingly sophisticated area and a central part of part of modern retailing', and comments: 'Paul's appointment to this newly-created role demonstrates our commitment to understand every aspect of our customers' shopping behaviour, so that we can enhance the service we offer to customers.'

Its Lloyds' second big insight departure this month: Head of Retail Strategy Alex Owens is leaving to take up the role of Head of Insight at supermarket chain Sainsbury's.

The John Lewis Partnership currently operates 39 John Lewis shops and 286 Waitrose supermarkets, and has annual gross sales of over £8.7bn. Its unusual company structure makes all 81,000 staff 'Partners in the business'.