John Lewis Partnership appoints group head of corporate affairs

The John Lewis Partnership has appointed Clayton Hirst as its group head of corporate affairs.

Hirst will take up the position on April 24 2017, joining from Virgin Media where he has served as director of external communications since 2015.

He has two decades of experience in communications, media and public policy. Prior to joining Virgin Media, he spent 10 years at the regulator Ofcom in a number of roles, before becoming its director of communications in 2010.

Simon Fowler, director of communications at John Lewis Partnership, said: “Clayton joins us to head up our corporate affairs team at a time of huge significance for the Partnership as we help the business develop its thinking on the key priorities emerging from the Government’s Industrial Strategy. This includes the UK’s direction post-Brexit as well as the issues facing the Partnership from the pressures we’ve called out affecting society, retail and the workplace.”

Hirst added: “I am delighted to be joining the Partnership at such a critical time – with the structural changes taking place in the retail sector and the enormous shifts in public policy resulting from Brexit. I look forward to working for the John Lewis Partnership, one of the UK’s most respected retailers, brands and employee-owned businesses.”