John Lewis moves into live-streaming, names new deputy chairman

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Dec 17, 2020

John Lewis Partnership will host a special live-stream event on Friday and also said Thursday that Rita Clifton will become its next deputy chairman. The company will host its first live-streamed show as part of its Christmas campaign that aims to raise money for charity. 

The December 18 event for loyalty card members is called Give a little love live and includes a live performance from Celeste (who sang the song running with the firm’s Christmas ad), plus an interactive quiz, a search for Britain's best-dressed Christmas home and prizes from various sponsors.

The one-hour show hosted by Jason Manford and Konnie Huq, will also hail community heroes, as well as featuring other celebrities.

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The company had promised that this year's Christmas campaign would be like no other, reflecting the unusual year. And its first departure into the world of live entertainment, is fairly ambitious scale and should reach a huge audience..

As for the new deputy chairman, Clifton replaces Andy Martin who has been interim deputy chairman and who now continues as a non-executive director. The role became vacant in April when Keith Williams stepped down from the Partnership board.  

She has “significant experience as a non-executive director in a range of consumer facing sectors, including retail” and is currently a non-executive director with Nationwide Building Society and trend forecaster WGSN’s owner Ascential. She stepped down from the board of Asos earlier this year, having served six years.

The retailer also said that she’s “worked with many of the world’s leading companies on their brand strategies during her executive career as vice-chairman and strategy director at Saatchi & Saatchi; as London CEO and chairman at the global brand consultancy Interbrand; and as co-founder of BrandCap”.

And she has held boardroom roles at a variety of charities including WWF, the UK Sustainable Development Commission and as Trustee of the environmental think tank Green Alliance.

John Lewis chairman Sharon White hailed her “wealth of leadership experience across an impressive career” and said that she’s a perfect fit for the Partnership”.