Mark Price, Waitrose’s director of selling and marketing, is leaving the upmarket food retail chain to join the main board of parent the John Lewis Partnership as development director.
In light of the continued expansion of Waitrose, Price’s role at the chain is being split into two. Both of the new positions have been filled by internal candidates. Distribution director Geoff Salt will take responsibility for retail operations and Christian Cull, head of press and PR, is stepping up to become marketing director of the chain.
The changes take effect at the end of January, when Price
moves to the Partnership, replacing Charlie Mayfield who is being made MD of the John Lewis chain of department stores. As development director of the Partnership, Price will work across both supermarkets and department stores. He will also take the lead in developing strategy, exploring new business opportunities. In addition, he will be responsible for Ocado, the online food shopping business in which the Partnership has a major stake, and its new credit card business.
Price joined Waitrose from John Lewis Cheadle, where he was MD, in February 1998.
He was the food chain’s first-ever marketing director and, among other things, developed its Price Commitment initiative and took Waitrose on to TV and cinema with an award-winning ad campaign.
Julian Hunt

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