Judge for The Lloyds Bank Positive Social Impact of the Year Award, The Business Enabler of the Year Award & The Virgin Atlantic Customer Experience & Loyalty Award

Anna retired from the John Lewis Partnership last summer after 38 years building anoutstanding reputation within this high street stalwart. She joined John Lewis on a graduatetraining scheme, having graduated with a Science degree from The University of Nottingham. The training scheme in general management led to early management positions. However, Anna’s ambition was to become a Buyer and she achieved this early on and was able to demonstrate both her commercial and creative skills in a number of Fashion and Homewares Buyer positions over the years.

For the last 15 years, as Head of Buying, Home, Anna led large buying and merchandising teams in the Homewares Division of the Department Store group. These senior leadership roles meant Anna was able to influence the strategic direction and delivery of the Homewares proposition more widely and she acquired a reputation for developing strong commercial and leadership skills in others, leaving an enviable legacy behind her.

Anna was a valued supporter of the Partnership’s democratic principles and a stand out representative of Partner views and opinions as an elected member of the employee councils that metregularly to hold the Executive Board and Directors to account. Anna has enjoyed a number of external advisory, mentoring and Trustee roles in the last 10 years including the Soane Museum, Enterprise Nation, The Gift Association, Royal College of Art , Tate Enterprises and a single academy trust near her home in Hampshire. Anna has recently been voted Chair of the Trustee Board of Robert Mays School, Odiham, Hampshire and now sits on the Tate St Ives Advisory Council.