The John Lewis Partnership has appointed its first customer director with responsibility across the entire business. 

Charlotte Lock

Charlotte Lock will be John Lewis’ first pan-Partnership customer director

Charlotte Lock will join from the Co-op, where she is at present director of data, digital products and loyalty, and report to John Lewis Partnership’s strategy and commercial director Nina Bhatia. 

She will take up the post in April and work alongside Waitrose customer director Martin George and Claire Pointon, who holds that role for the eponymous department stores.

The retailer said that Lock will “help us grow and deepen our customer relationships and build value for the Partnership. She will be responsible for delivering a pan-Partnership customer strategy, leading the development of our customer capabilities, as well as delivering a new Partnership loyalty proposition.”

As well as the Co-op, where she relaunched the membership proposition and digital services and introduced new data, CRM and personalisation capabilities, she brings experience from BBC Sounds and marketing specialist McCann Worldgroup.

Bhatia said: “Charlotte’s appointment reinforces the importance of placing the customer at the heart of everything we do. Charlotte brings tremendous relevant experience and will play a pivotal role in building our Partnership brand, customer strategy and loyalty propositions.”

The Partnership is in the midst of a reinvigoration programme including making more money through services, as well as retail, and making more of the synergies between its two businesses.