The John Lewis Partnership has appointed former Lloyds Banking Group transformation director Zak Mian as its new chief transformation & technology officer.
Mian has over 30 years’ experience of leading business transformation and technology teams, including in his most recent stint at Lloyds. He will become JLP’s first executive-level appointment solely focused on transformation and technology.
He is due to join Waitrose’s parent company on 7 November, and take responsibility for all of the group’s technology, change and transformation activity, along with the teams that support it.
The business said the appointment “further strengthens our transformation capability as we continue to deliver our five-year Partnership Plan”.
JLP chair Sharon White said: “I’m delighted that Zak is joining the Partnership. He brings a wealth of experience and an impressive background in business transformation and has a strong sense of purpose, which make him a great fit.”
Mian has been focusing on digital transformation at Lloyds for the past eight years and has occupied the role of group transformation director since 2018.
He has also worked for the government’s Central Digital & Data Office as a non-executive director for more than a year.
“I’ve admired the Partnership and its purpose for a long time so I’m delighted to be joining,” Mian said.
“I’m really looking forward to helping shape an environment in which partners can do their best work, enable the transformation of our business through technology and deliver great experiences for our customers.”
Ever since a JLP executive team restructure nearly three years ago, both its eponymous department stores and Waitrose have undergone major changes, particularly in technology.
The end of Waitrose’s online deal with Ocado in 2020 saw it build its own online grocery platform for the first time, and both JLP businesses were forced to ramp up digital operations when Covid ravaged high street retail and boosted e-commerce.
However, the group has struggled with integrating technology into all areas of the business. Earlier this year, the rollout of the revamped MyWaitrose loyalty programme was hit with a “flood” of complaints from customers struggling with the new digital platform.
More recently, White had to personally issue an official statement regarding the Partnership’s new credit card provider, NewDay, after customers complained the complex new digital re-enrolment process had caused them to walk away from the retailer.
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