Mark Price, Baron Price

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The Right Honourable
The Lord Price
CVO
Minister of State for Trade and Investment
In office
4 April 2016 – 28 September 2017
Prime MinisterDavid Cameron
Theresa May
Preceded byThe Lord Maude of Horsham
Succeeded byThe Baroness Fairhead
Member of the House of Lords
Life peerage
21 March 2016
Personal details
Born (1961-03-02) 2 March 1961 (age 63)
Crewe, England
Political partyConservative
SpouseJudith Bolt
ChildrenTwo
ResidenceSturminster Newton
Alma materLondon Business School
Lancaster University
OccupationBusinessman

Mark Ian Price, Baron Price CVO (born 2 March 1961) is a British businessman, Founder of WorkL for Business and WorkL, Chairman of Fair Trade UK, writer, President of the Chartered Management Institute and member of the House of Lords. He was a former Managing Director of Waitrose, and Deputy Chairman of the John Lewis Partnership.[1][2][3][4][5] He joined the Conservative government as the Minister of State for Trade and Investment in April 2016.[6]

On 3 September 2017 it was announced that Price would leave the government; on 28 September Rona Fairhead was appointed to succeed him.[7][8]

Early life[edit]

Price was born and grew up in Crewe, England.[1][3] His father was a corner shop owner, later a wholesaler, and an evangelical preacher.[1][4] He attended Crewe County Grammar School for Boys.

In 1982 Price graduated from Lancaster University with a 2:1 BA degree in Archaeology.[1][3]

In 1984 Price married Jane Platt at Christchurch Priory in Dorset

Career[edit]

He started his career at the John Lewis Partnership as a graduate trainee in 1982,[1][3][4][9] before progressing to become John Lewis store manager in High Wycombe and Cheadle.[2][3][9] 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.[1][2][3] 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.[10]

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.[11] Suggestions have been made saying that Mark may apply for the chairman position of Channel 4.[11][12]

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.[6] On 29 February, he was created Lord Price, of Sturminster Newton in the County of Dorset.[13] He left the Government in September 2017.

Since 2018 Price has been on the Council at Lancaster University and Chair of Fairtrade UK [1].

Price has sat on Coca-Cola Europe's board since 2019.

Price became President of the Chartered management institute in September 2020.

In October 2017, Price founded Engaging Business [14] and WorkL,[15] digital platforms designed to make the world a little happier and help businesses increase employee retention by measuring, tracking and improving organisations' workplace happiness; it offers happiness surveys and career development opportunities for individuals and businesses.

Other work[edit]

Price has served as Chairman of Business in the Community since 2011 and The Prince's Countryside Fund since 2010.[1][9][16] He sits on the Board of Directors of Channel 4 and the Consumer Goods Forum.[2][16] 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.[17][18] Price is also a Life Patron at GroceryAid.[19]

Price has written a number of books on employee engagement including 'Six Steps to Workplace Happiness' and 'Fairness for All'. Price has written a book to help children learn to play chess called The Foolish King. The Foolish King [20] website helps children learn how to play chess in a fun and exciting way.

Personal life[edit]

In 1991 Price married Judith Bolt in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. They live in Sturminster Newton with their two girls.[2][3]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Rigby, Elizabeth (19 June 2010). "Lunch with the FT: Mark Price". Financial Times.
  2. ^ a b c d e Blackhurst, Chris (15 December 2010). "The jolly grocer who's made Waitrose the chain to watch". London Evening Standard.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Teather, David (5 October 2007). "'To be honest, I'm all about a love of food. The fact is I am chubby'". The Guardian.
  4. ^ a b c Uloth, Rupert (24 January 2008). "Interview: Waitrose MD Mark Price". Country Life.
  5. ^ "The Prince's Countryside Fund". www.princescountrysidefund.org.uk. Archived from the original on 11 September 2010. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  6. ^ a b "Ministerial appointment: Mark Ian Price". Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  7. ^ "Greg Hands to take over responsibility for trade policy as Lord Price pursues business and writing interests". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
  8. ^ "New ministerial appointments September 2017: DfE and DIT". Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  9. ^ a b c The Prince's Countryside Fund trustees
  10. ^ Hawkes, Steve (26 July 2013). "Waitrose chief Mark Price named deputy chairman of John Lewis". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  11. ^ a b Sheffield, Hazel (20 October 2015). "Waitrose boss Mark Price resigns". The Independent. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  12. ^ Farrell, Sean; Sweney, Mark (20 October 2015). "Waitrose boss Mark Price quits to 'head Channel 4'". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  13. ^ "No. 61516". The London Gazette. 4 March 2016. p. 4714.
  14. ^ "Engaging Business". engaging.business. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  15. ^ "WorkL". workl.co. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  16. ^ a b "Channel 4 Board". Channel 4.
  17. ^ "No. 60728". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2013. p. 4.
  18. ^ "New Year Honours 2014: list in full". The Daily Telegraph. 30 December 2013.
  19. ^ "Trustees and Patrons | Grocery Aid". Grocery Aid. Archived from the original on 23 December 2015. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  20. ^ "The Foolish King - learn and play chess for free". The Foolish King. Retrieved 30 September 2020.

External links[edit]

Audio clips[edit]

Video clips[edit]

Business positions
Preceded by
Steven Esom
 Managing Director
of Waitrose
2007–2016 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
Preceded by
David Barclay
 Non-Executive Deputy Chairman
of the John Lewis Partnership
2013–2016 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of State for
Trade and Investment
2016–2017 		Succeeded by
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom
Preceded by Gentlemen
Baron Price 		Followed by
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