UK supermarket group J Sainsbury has said its newly appointed deputy chairman, Sir Ian Prosser, has decided to stand down.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


Sainsbury’s announced last week that it had appointed Prosser as its deputy chairman, with the intention that he would take over from Sir Peter Davis as chairman when Davis retires in 2005.


The appointment led to anger amongst several major shareholders, who voiced dissatisfaction about Prosser’s previous track record at leisure group Six Continents, where his reign was characterised by poor shareholder returns and an inflexible attitude towards shareholders.


“The board of J Sainsbury Plc and Sir Ian Prosser have each considered carefully the reaction of certain institutional shareholders consulted on the appointment. As a result, Sir Ian has concluded that it would not be in the best interests of the company to proceed,” Sainsbury’s was quoted by Reuters as saying.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact