British department store operator the John Lewis Partnership has appointed Tom Denyard as the new managing director of Waitrose. 

Denyard previously held senior positions at Tesco, serving as managing director of Tesco Online, CEO of Tesco Mobile and chief operating officer of Tesco stores in Malaysia.

His career began at Unilever, where he worked in sales, category, marketing, strategy and general management.  

He also served as the head of brand for food at Marks & Spencer.  

He will assume the new responsibility in January 2026, succeeding James Bailey. 

Denyard stated: “I can’t wait to start the work of building on the terrific progress James and the whole team have made in enhancing the customer offer in recent years, and ensuring Waitrose is the destination for quality food and outstanding service. It’s a massively exciting time for the brand and the Partnership; I’m thrilled to have the opportunity [...] to bring continued success.” 

Tina Mitchell, currently the retail director, will take on the role of interim managing director until Denyard's arrival. Bailey will leave Waitrose at the end of September. 

John Lewis Partnership chairman Jason Tarry stated: “I’m delighted to appoint Tom as the managing director for Waitrose. Tom’s blend of brand, customer, commercial and operational experience make him the ideal person to take the business forward.  

“I’m confident that under his guidance, Waitrose will continue to thrive and innovate, delivering exceptional quality and service to our customers, building on the impressive progress made by James Bailey and the Waitrose team." 

In June,  John Lewis appointed former Marks & Spencer marketing director Anna Braithwaite as its new chief customer officer, effective 1 October 2025. 

With a team of over 45,000 partners, Waitrose has been catering to customers for 120 years, providing products across 313 stores and online.