John Lewis & Partners has lured back former graduate trainee Anna Braithwaite – who recently quit Marks & Spencer – to be its new chief customer officer as UK retailers continue to plunder each other’s senior executives in an effort to gain competitive advantage.
Braithwaite started her career at M&S in 2001, joining straight from university, and went on to spend nearly 12 years at the retailer in a host of marketing roles, ultimately becoming a manager of brand marketing before leaving in 2013.
She will join John Lewis in October following the completion on a non-compete period at M&S, and will in part succeed Charlotte Lock, who John Lewis Partnership quit to join the V&A earlier this year.
In her new role, Braithwaite will oversee the retailer’s marketing and customer experience across all of its channels; she has also been briefed to revive the brand’s core promise of “quality, value and service”.
Braithwaite had been at M&S since June 2021 and played a key role in revitalising the brand and shaping its evolving marketing strategy – most recently contributing to the launch of its new ‘Summer Like You Mean It’ campaign. She announced her departure last week but could only say she was preparing to “embark on a new chapter”.
Before joining M&S, Braithwaite served as global brand director (non-food) at Tesco and previously spent nearly three years as head of brand marketing at F&F Clothing. Her career also includes senior marketing roles at Hobbs and Jacques Vert Group.
Her appointment comes as the partnership has revamped its senior executive director leadership titles in favour of industry-standard managing director titles.
John Lewis managing director Peter Ruis said: “I’m thrilled that Anna is returning to John Lewis. Her understanding of the John Lewis brand and her laser focus on the needs of customers makes her the ideal person to lead our customer and marketing strategy. I know that Anna will build on the John Lewis experience that our customers know and love.”
Braithwaite added: “I am incredibly excited to be joining at such a pivotal time, following the return of a re-energised Never Knowingly Undersold.”
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