Peter Ruis returns to John Lewis to head up its department store business

Peter Ruis is back at the John Lewis Partnership as an executive director and will be heading up its department store business.

The move, which takes effect from next week, marks something of a homecoming for Ruis, who previously spent nine years with the department store from 2005 to 2013 as its buying and brand director.

He left John Lewis to take up the CEO role at Jigsaw from where he went to head up Anthropologie’s international drive as MD. Most recently he has been CEO at Indigo plc in Canada.

“It’s a great privilege to return to the John Lewis Partnership after 10 years. The John Lewis brand is iconic, loved and trusted by millions of customers across the UK and I’m excited to lead the next phase of the transformation.

“As the biggest employee-owned business in the UK, we have a huge opportunity to make even more of the unique Partner difference to provide exceptional products and service for our customers,” Ruis said.

As a result of the move Naomi Simcock, who stepped up as interim Executive Director for John Lewis, has been appointed into a new role as Operations Director for John Lewis. Working closely with Peter, Simcock will take responsibility for John Lewis Retail and Supply Chain.

Nish Kankiwala, CEO of the John Lewis Partnership, said of the appointments: “It’s fantastic to welcome Peter back to the Partnership. He has a deep understanding of customers, brands and product from his 30 year career spanning a variety of major high street and online retailers.

“He also brings a clear and proven passion for the John Lewis brand and the Partnership model, and I have no doubt he will be integral to our future success.

“I’d like to extend my enormous thanks to Naomi for her unwavering commitment and leadership of the John Lewis teams and business this past year. Naomi will do a brilliant job leading our retail and supply chain teams, working closely with Peter and the John Lewis leadership team.”

Simcock said: “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed stepping in to lead John Lewis and working with Partners across the business to deliver the quality, value and service our customers expect. I’m looking forward to continuing to be part of the John Lewis Leadership team, supporting our Partners and ensuring our department stores and supply chain continue to deliver for our customers."

Naomi Simcock

With 30 years of experience, Ruis brings some welcome retail expertise to the top of the John Lewis organisation. The parnership's chair Dame Sharon White, the former CEO of Ofcom, will not be seeking re-election to the role when her tenure ends in February 2025. Dame Sharon appointed Nish Kankiwala as partnership's first CEO last March. While he has extensive corporate experience, being a former Hovis and Burger King executive, he also lacked retail expertise.

While Ruis was at John Lewis during his previous tenure, it was amid a period of modernisation for the business during which it transitioned to an omnichannel model and introduced its hallmark Christmas ads. It will be hoped he can lead another period of transformation at the department store, which has struggled in the post-pandemic era in stark contrast to its larger rival Marks & Spencer, which has undergone a resurgence under CEO Stuart Machin and has just announced bumper Christmas sales.

Peter Ruis CV

2021-2023: CEO of Indigo Books and Music (first joined as President in 2021)

2015-2024: Independent non-executive director Dunelm

2018-2020: Managing Director of Anthropologie Europe and International

2013-2018: CEO Jigsaw

2005-2013: Various senior roles John Lewis Partnership, including Buying & Brand Director

2001-2004: Levi Strauss

1997-2001: Ted Baker