Occupation Businessman Role Businessman | Name Mark Price Spouse Judith Bolt (m. 1991) Children Holly Price, Lily Price | |
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Mark Ian Price, Baron Price CVO (born 2 March 1961) is a British businessman and former Managing Director of Waitrose, and Deputy Chairman of the John Lewis Partnership. He joined the Conservative government as the Minister of State for Trade and Investment in April 2016.
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Early life
Price was born and grew up in Crewe, England. His father was a corner shop owner, later a wholesaler, and an evangelical preacher. He attended Crewe County Grammar School for Boys.
In 1982 Price graduated from Lancaster University with a 2:1 BA degree in Archaeology.
Career
He started his career at the John Lewis Partnership as a graduate trainee in 1982, before progressing to become John Lewis store manager in High Wycombe and Cheadle. In 2005, he joined the John Lewis Partnership Board taking on responsibility for strategy as Development Director. In April 2007, the then Managing Director Steven Esom left the Partnership, and Price was appointed as his replacement. At the time Waitrose had 183 stores, and within six years this number had increased to 300.
In 2013 it was announced that in addition to his position at Waitrose he would become Deputy Chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, replacing David Barclay who had held the position since 2006.
In October 2015 Price announced he was to leave the John Lewis Partnership in April 2016 after 10 years fulfilling the role of Managing Director of Waitrose. Suggestions have been made saying that Mark may apply for the chairman position of Channel 4.
In February 2016 it was announced that Price would become the new Minister of State for Trade, after the resignation of Lord Maude of Horsham, and that he would be made a life peer. On 29 February, he was created Baron Price, of Sturminster Newton in the County of Dorset.
Other work
Price has served as Chairman of Business in the Community since 2011 and The Prince's Countryside Fund since 2010. He sits on the Board of Directors of Channel 4 and the Consumer Goods Forum. He was appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in the 2014 New Year Honours for his work with Business in the Community and The Prince's Countryside Fund. Price is also a Life Patron at GroceryAid.
Personal life
In 1991 Price married Judith Bolt in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. They live in Sturminster Newton with their two daughters.