- Peter Ruis will leave John Lewis on September 6 after nearly three years as managing director.
- Will Kernan, former boss of River Island and The White Company, will take over in mid-September.
- The change comes as John Lewis continues an £800 million investment programme across its stores.
John Lewis is changing its boss at a crucial point in its turnaround, with managing director Peter Ruis stepping down in September and former River Island and The White Company chief executive Will Kernan taking over.
Ruis, who returned to John Lewis in January 2024, will leave the business on September 6 to "pursue new projects", according to the John Lewis Partnership. Kernan, currently a non-executive director on the Partnership board, is expected to take over in mid-September, putting him in charge just before the key Christmas trading period.
The timing makes the leadership change particularly significant. Ruis has spent the past nearly three years overseeing a major modernisation of the department store chain, while the business is still trying to build on that investment and improve its financial performance.
During his tenure, John Lewis revived its Never Knowingly Undersold price promise and began rolling out an £800 million investment programme across its stores. The retailer has also been changing its product mix and digital operations, with recent moves including the launch of Topshop, a new Platter restaurant and expanded sports and wellbeing offerings.
Ruis said the business was now on a stronger footing after the investment and modernisation programme, adding that there was still more to come.
But the next stage will belong to Kernan.
A new boss, with Christmas around the corner
Kernan arrives with more than three decades of retail experience. He has previously run River Island, The White Company and Wiggle, while spending 13 years at New Look in roles including group financial director, trading director, chief operating officer and managing director. He has also served as chairman of furniture and kitchen retailer Neptune.
He joined the John Lewis Partnership board as a non-executive director in 2023, meaning he is already familiar with the business and its employee-owned structure.
Kernan said, as reported by the John Lewis Partnership, that he saw "significant headroom for growth" and would focus on the retailer's next stage while maintaining its employee-ownership model.
That growth will have to come against a difficult backdrop.
John Lewis Partnership chairman Jason Tarry recently warned that trading conditions were "really tough", with inflation and higher energy costs putting pressure on consumers and retailers. The Partnership had returned to paying staff an annual bonus this year after underlying profits improved, but the economic environment has since become more challenging.
The retailer has continued to invest despite those pressures. Its latest store plans include a major push into sports and wellbeing, bringing sportswear, footwear, wearable technology, recovery products, AI-powered fitness and expert services together.
The company currently operates 36 John Lewis shops, alongside its website and app.
The leadership change therefore does not mark the end of the turnaround programme. If anything, Kernan is taking over while many of its changes are still being tested.
His first major challenge will be to turn the investment already made into stronger sales and profitability, while navigating a consumer market where shoppers remain sensitive to prices.
For Ruis, the departure comes with the message that the business is now in a stronger position after a period of significant investment.
For Kernan, the test will be whether that stronger footing can translate into sustained growth.
And with his arrival coming just ahead of Christmas, there will not be much time to settle in before one of the most important trading periods of the year begins.
