Wednesday (25 April), J Sainsbury plc announced that, having served as a Non Executive Director for six years, Sir Clive Thompson has decided to step down from the Board at the Company’s AGM in July. The Lord Levene of Portsoken (Peter Levene) has been appointed a Non Executive Director with effect from 1 May 2001.

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Sir George Bull, Chairman of Sainsbury’s, said ” I, and my colleagues, are most grateful to Sir Clive for his considerable contribution and commitment over the last six years. We are also very pleased to welcome Peter Levene to our Board. He brings with him a wealth of experience of business and the City and we look forward to his involvement with us at a time of great change. “


The company also announced the appointment of two new members to the Group Executive Committee, Sara Weller and Ross McLaren. Sara Weller, Director of Marketing, already sits on the Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Board and will now bring a valuable and important contribution at a Group level.


Ross McLaren will bring a particular perspective to the committee as President of Shaw’s, the US supermarket chain of J Sainsbury plc. The move will demonstrate the increasingly important role of Shaw’s and help reinforce the links between the two major businesses.


The Group Executive Committee sits between the Group Board and the operating company Boards, and deals with the day to day operational running of the J Sainsbury plc Group. Following the changes, it will comprise Sir Peter Davis, Ian Coull, Robin Whitbread, John Adshead, Roger Matthews, Jan Shawe, Sara Weller and Ross McLaren.

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Notes for editors:


Lord Peter Levene of Portsoken (59), is Vice Chairman of Deutsche Bank AG London, which he joined in 1999, having been Chairman of Bankers Trust International when it was acquired by Deutsche Bank.


Prior to this, Lord Levene held a variety of appointments within the City (Senior Adviser at Morgan Stanley – 1996 to 1998; Deputy Chairman of Wassertain Perella, London – 1991 to 1995) and business (Chairman and Chief Executive of Canary Wharf – 1994 to 1996); Chairman of the Docklands Light Railway – 1991 to 1994).


Lord Levene joined United Scientific Holdings plc after graduating at the University of Manchester in 1963. He became Managing Director in 1968 and Chairman in 1981.


In the 80’s and 90’s Lord Levene held a number of government appointments and from 1985 to 1991 was Chief of Defence Procurement. From 1992 to 1997, he was the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Efficiency and Effectiveness. He was made a Life Peer in 1997, and was Lord Mayor of London 1998-9.


Lord Levene is a Director of the Haymarket Group, and Chairman of International Financial Services London.


A resolution for the re-appointment of Lord Levene will be put to the AGM on 25 July.