Our Partnership is built on democratic principles. We share the responsibilities and rewards of ownership: knowledge, power and profit. Partner opinion is crucial in driving the actions of our governing authorities: the Partnership Council, The Partnership Board and The Chairman.
Purpose in action
Empowering our partners
For over a century, the John Lewis Partnership has been defined by its unique structure: a commitment to democratic principles that empowers every Partner. This founding value is as relevant today as it was in 1919.
Our democratic network, comprising thousands of elected representatives, ensures Partners can influence business strategy, hold management to account, and participate in decision-making. This entire structure is overseen by our three governing authorities: the Partnership Council, the Partnership Board, and the Chairman.
In the video below, originally created for our employee co-owners, we explain how this system of shared power works and underscore the importance of every Partner's voice.
How power is shared in the John Lewis Partnership
Harnessing the power of democracy
There are a number of ways we safeguard our democratic principles at the John Lewis Partnership.
Partnership Council
The Partnership Council acts as the voice of our Partners, safeguarding their interests in how the business is run. Alongside the Board and Chairman, it is responsible for the Partnership’s health. The Council's key roles are to hold the Chairman accountable, influence policy, and oversee essential governance, from constitutional appointments to the selection of Board directors.
Partnership Board
The Partnership Board oversees the strategic direction and financial health of the business, guiding major policy and upholding the highest standards of governance.
What makes our Board unique is its composition: a blend of appointed executives and democratically elected Partners. These Elected Directors are drawn from all levels of the business, bringing invaluable frontline insight to our leadership. They ensure the voice of our Partners is central to strategy and management.
Key responsibilities for the Board include setting the Partnership's long-term strategy and overseeing major investment plans.
Four key Committees support the Board's work: Audit and Risk; Nominations; Remuneration; and Ethics and Sustainability.
The Chairman
The Chairman is responsible for the Partnership’s success in every sense. They safeguard our unique democratic character and Purpose while leading the business as our senior executive.
They chair the Partnership Board, drive the business plan, and are ultimately accountable for our commercial performance, answering directly to the Partnership Council twice a year.
The Gazette
A cornerstone of Partner expression, our weekly magazine, The Gazette, has been a vital channel for opinion and debate since 1918. As the UK's longest-running internal publication to have never changed its name, its role was enshrined in our Constitution by our Founder, John Spedan Lewis. He believed that shared knowledge was the key to an empowered and happier Partnership.
What makes The Gazette truly unique is its editorial independence. It operates separately from management, and its most vital function is the letters section—an open forum where Partners can submit everything from enquiries to direct criticisms. This tradition creates a valuable, continuous dialogue, ensuring the subjects that matter most to our Partners are always part of the conversation.
John Lewis Partnership Trust Limited
The John Lewis Partnership Trust Limited is the legal entity charged with safeguarding our constitution and democratic principles. It holds the Partnership’s shares in trust for all Partners and is governed by five Directors: the Chairman, the Deputy Chairman, and three Trustees of the Constitution who are elected by the Partnership Council. To preserve the long-term interests of the business, and in accordance with our founder’s vision, the Chairman appoints their own successor and the Deputy Chairman, a process which is overseen by the Nominations Committee.
Our Better Jobs programme has been set up to do just that by enabling our suppliers to hear direct feedback from their workforce to drive improved conditions and job satisfaction for those who grow, pick, pack, make products or provide services for our business. Since its inception, 80 suppliers sites across the UK and China have engaged with the Better Jobs programme. 11,000 worker responses have so far helped us design and deliver programmes within our supply chain aimed at improving the lives of employees.
Over the year ahead, our Better Jobs programme will expand to two new countries, South Africa and India, and include suppliers in our produce, garment and home accessories categories. Find out more about what we are doing in our Ethics & Sustainability report.