While his fierce reputation may be unjustified, the former Tesco dynamo seems a good fit as chairman of New Look

Ask people in the retail industry about John Gildersleeve and it is not long before a picture emerges of what is often euphemistically referred to as a “robust” character.

They typically recall Gildersleeve’s days at Tesco, the business where he made his name after joining as a trainee in the mid-1960s and rose to become executive director by the time he retired in 2004.

Known to close colleagues as JG, Gildersleeve played a central role in turning Tesco into the dominant force in grocery. In particular, he sharpened its purchasing - in the process, Tesco established a reputation for almost unparalleled toughness in negotiations with suppliers.

“He was the definitive hard man, brought up in the style of Jack Cohen, and he roughed up the suppliers,” says one analyst who followed Tesco during Gildersleeve’s era, alluding to the grocer’s legendarily ferocious founder.

So some might find it strange that such an apparently abrasive personality, used to the rough-and-tumble of supermarketing, should become chairman of value fashion retailer, New Look.

But the axeman image of Gildersleeve is overdone, say others who know him. “Yes, he could make suppliers quake in their boots and he never paid list price for anything,” admits one person who has worked with him at Tesco. “But actually I wouldn’t describe him as old school.”

That Gildersleeve has chaired companies as diverse as entertainment group EMI and cigarette firm Gallaher, and remains chairman of innovative retailers Carphone Warehouse and Figleaves.com backs up that point of view, indicating a warmer personality and wider set of business skills than the bruiser caricature suggests and which have made the media-shy Gildersleeve much in demand in UK boardrooms.

It is an impressive list of roles for someone who, as he quipped in one of the very few interviews he has ever given - Cambridge University newspaper Varsity - quipped that when he joined Tesco he only knew two things about food retail: “Cheese is yellow and meat is red.”

The former Tesco staffer says: “He is enormous fun, has enormous presence and is totally irreverent. He has a very dry sense of humour and is a great storyteller - him and Sir Philip Green are the two retailers you’d want to have dinner with.” At a birthday party for former Tesco boss Lord McLaurin, Gildersleeve is said to have had the guests in stitches with his anecdotes.

The source recalls that at Tesco Gildersleeve was generous with his praise and rewarded good performance. Unlike some in the occasionally macho world of grocery, he promoted men and women equally on their merits.

That blend of commercial and personal qualities means that, despite his low public profile, Gildersleeve plays well in the City and should be an asset to New Look as it ponders whether to push the button on an IPO, potentially valuing the retailer at £1.7bn. “He’s charismatic with a razor-sharp intellect, he makes good decisions - he’s a proven businessman,” says the former colleague.

Sally Elliott, retail partner at talent management firm Korn/Ferry Whitehead Mann, who placed Gildersleeve, says: “He’s one of the most experienced retail chairmen with international experience in the UK. He can see the big strategic picture but also understands the operational side.”

New Look has emerged as a good Christmas performer. Last week it posted UK like-for-like growth of 5.9% in the 14 weeks to January 2, when it also held margins.

But the retail outlook remains uncertain and potential investors will closely scrutinise any company after their investment cash. The appointment of such a seasoned operator as Gildersleeve should be a boon if New Look decides to go ahead with any such venture.

At the time of his appointment, Gildersleeve said he was excited to join New Look, which he described as “a great brand” with an impressive track record. He said: “The company has exciting growth potential, both in the UK and abroad, and I look forward to working with Carl [McPhail, chief executive] and his team to help achieve this.”

Age 64


Interests shooting


Career history

Current roles chairman, Carphone Warehouse; chairman, New Look; chairman, Figleaves; non-executive director, British Land
Former roles commercial and trading director,
Tesco; chairman, Gallaher; chairman, EMI;
non-executive director, Vodafone