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Justin King CBE

Businessman

London, UK

Justin King

Warrington Asset Management LLC

Jakob Kjellberg

Justin King’s Biography

Justin King has been a leader in customer-facing businesses for over three decades. He has held senior positions at many leading companies including Sainsbury's, Asda, M&S, Häagen-Dazs, PepsiCo and Mars.

Justin is credited with having turned Sainsbury’s around. During his tenure at the iconic British retailer, he executed a plan to ‘Make Sainsbury’s Great Again’, and under his leadership Sainsbury’s delivered a shareholder return of 85% and tripled profits.

He is an advocate for responsible business and helped establish Sainsbury’s long-standing relationship with Comic Relief, with the retailer pledging £1 for every £10 donated. He was also the driving force behind Sainsbury’s Paralympic Games sponsorship.

Justin was appointed Chair of Allwyn Entertainment and Dexters in 2022, Non-Executive Chair of Itsu Grocery in 2023, and Chair of OVO Energy in March 2024. He is a Non-Executive Director of M&S, and a Senior Adviser to Snappy Shopper, Rezolve, and Boxfund Advisors.

Previously, Justin was Vice Chairman & Senior Adviser at Terra Firma and served as a director on several boards... Justin King has been a leader in customer-facing businesses for over three decades. He has held senior positions at many leading companies including Sainsbury's, Asda, M&S, Häagen-Dazs, PepsiCo and Mars.

Justin is credited with having turned Sainsbury’s around. During his tenure at the iconic British retailer, he executed a plan to ‘Make Sainsbury’s Great Again’, and under his leadership Sainsbury’s delivered a shareholder return of 85% and tripled profits.

He is an advocate for responsible business and helped establish Sainsbury’s long-standing relationship with Comic Relief, with the retailer pledging £1 for every £10 donated. He was also the driving force behind Sainsbury’s Paralympic Games sponsorship.

Justin was appointed Chair of Allwyn Entertainment and Dexters in 2022, Non-Executive Chair of Itsu Grocery in 2023, and Chair of OVO Energy in March 2024. He is a Non-Executive Director of M&S, and a Senior Adviser to Snappy Shopper, Rezolve, and Boxfund Advisors.

Previously, Justin was Vice Chairman & Senior Adviser at Terra Firma and served as a director on several boards within the TF portfolio. He headed the sale of Wyevale Garden Centres and brighterkind, both TF companies. He sat on PWC’s Public Interest Body and was a Director of the LOCOG and Staples, serving on the audit committee of both. He was also a member of the UK Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Group. Justin has a passion for cars and was interim Chairman of the Manor Racing F1 team during its restructuring.

He speaks regularly on the topics of leadership through change and responsible business.

Justin was awarded a CBE in HM The Queen’s New Year Honours List 2011 for services to the retail industry and named Most Admired Business Leader by Management Today in 2013.

He launched Made by Sport in 2019. Having raised and distributed over £6m to charities that use sport for social good, MBS has handed over to Sported to take the campaign forward. READ MORE VIEW LESS

Justin King’s Newsfeed

The Standard

Energy group OVO appoints veteran supermarket boss Justin King as chair

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The Grocer

Justin King joins Itsu Grocery as chairman

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Justin King’s Background

Sainsbury's

Chief Executive Officer

Mar 2004 - 2014

London, UK

Sainsbury’s is one of the three largest supermarket chains in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1869 by John James Sainsbury and now has over 1,400 stores across the country and is considered a market leader for its strong online presence.

Marks & Spencer

Director Food

2001 - 2004

London, UK

Marks & Spencer (M&S) is a leading UK retailer that sells food, clothing, home products and offers financial services.

Asda

Managing Director, Hypermarkets Division

1994 - 2001

Leeds, UK

Asda is one of the United Kingdom’s largest supermarket retailers and was founded in 1949. As part of Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, Asda aims to ensure that consumers benefit from low prices.

Häagen-Dazs

Managing Director, UK

1990 - 1994

London, UK

A premium American ice cream brand established in Brooklyn in 1961. Häagen-Dazs focuses on using only the highest quality ingredients to offer an authentic, top quality product.

PepsiCo

Sales & Marketing Director

1989 - 1990

Cairo, EG

PepsiCo is a multinational food, snack and beverage organisation that oversees the manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of their products. The multinational is headquartered in New York and was established in 1965 after a merger between Pepsi-Cola Company and Frito-Lay, Inc.

Mars, Incorporated

Graduate Trainee

1983 - 1989

London, UK

Mars, Incorporated is an American manufacturer of confectionery, pet food and other food products. The multinational company also provides animal care services. Some of their most well-known brands include M&M’s, Snickers, Twix, Skittles, Pedigree and Royal Canin.

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Justin King’s Gallery

Current Board Positions

OVO Energy

Chair

Mar 2024 - Present

London, UK

OVO Energy is a UK-based energy supplier known for its renewable energy offerings and innovative tariffs. It prioritises sustainability, offering smart energy solutions to customers. With a focus on transparency and customer service, it aims to revolutionise the energy industry.

Itsu Grocery

Non-Executive Chair

Apr 2023 - Present

London, UK

Itsu is a chain of fast food restaurants, shops and a grocery company offering East Asian-inspired food and grocery products. Justin was appointed Non-Executive Chairman of Itsu Grocery in April 2023, following several years as a Senior Adviser to the business.

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Previous Board Positions

PricewaterhouseCoopers

Public Interest Body

Jul 2015 - Mar 2022

London, UK

PwC is a multinational professional services network with headquarters in London. It is the second largest professional services firm in the world and is one of the Big Four auditing firms.

Terra Firma

Vice Chairman & Senior Adviser

Sep 2015 - May 2021

London, UK

Based in London, Terra Firma is one of Europe’s top private equity firms. The meaning of Terra Firma is solid ground and reflects the company's stable and unique approach to investing. Before taking on the role of Vice Chairman and Senior Adviser, Justin served as the Head of Portfolio Businesses.

Annington

Non-Executive Director

London, UK

Annington is one of the UK’s largest private owners of residential property with a portfolio worth over £7 billion that consist of more than 40,000 properties.

EverPower

Non-Executive Director

Pittsburgh, PA, USA

EverPower is a renewable energy (wind power) company that operates as Trireme Energy Development. Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, EverPower is a leader in developing and operating utility-scale wind projects in the United States.

Wyevale Garden Centres

Chairman

Brentford, UK

Wyevale Garden Centres was the largest garden centre group in the UK and consisted of 154 garden centres in England and Wales.

brighterkind

Chairman

Wilmslow, UK

A stand-alone business, part of the Four Seasons Health Care Group, brighterkind is a private care home provider for the elderly.

Manor Racing MRT

Interim Chairman

2014 - 2015

Banbury, UK

Manor Racing MRT was a British Formula One racing team that was established and based in Banbury, Oxfordshire.

Staples Inc.

Director

2009 - 2015

Framingham, MA, USA

Staples Inc. is a major American retailer that specializes in office supplies and related products. It was founded in 1986 in Brighton, Massachusetts, and became part of the Fortune 500 in 1996.

LOCOG | London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games

Board Member & Member of Audit Committee

2009 - 2013

London, UK

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) was established to oversee the planning of the 2012 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games hosted by London.

UK Government Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Group

Member

London, UK

The Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Group consists of business leaders from numerous sectors across the UK that serve as advisors to the Prime Minister, providing high-level, strategic advice.

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Current Advisory Roles

BoxFund Advisors

Advisor

Oct 2024 - Present

London, UK

BoxFund Advisors is a UK-based venture capital firm. It was established by entrepreneurs and is dedicated to supporting other entrepreneurs. BoxFund focuses on providing early-stage funding for UK-based startups, particularly those in the consumer brand sector.

Rezolve

Senior Adviser

By connecting the offline and online worlds, Rezolve is transforming the way customers interact with, and make purchases on, their mobile phones.

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Previous Advisory Roles

Allwyn Entertainment Ltd

Member of the Advisory Board

Jul 2021 - Apr 2022

London, UK

Justin served as an Advisor and Member of the company's Bid Advisory Board before being appointed Chairman in April 2022.

Philanthropy

Made By Sport (now part of Sported)

Founder & Chairman

2019 - 2023

London, UK

Drawing on the power of sport to change lives, Justin King launched Made by Sport in 2019. Having raised and distributed over £6m to over 2,000 community-based organisations that use sport for social good, MBS has now handed over to Sported to take the campaign forward.

Media

Talking Markets

Video interview

Oct 2024

Justin King talks to Michael Wilson and David Buik on Capital.com’s Talking Markets podcast. Justin discusses the UK’s political and investment landscape, and his experience in executive roles.

Five Minute Pitch TV

Interviewee

Apr 2020

London, UK

Justin King and Steve Windsor (Adviser to Supermarket Income REIT) discuss updates on supermarket supply chains, profits and share prices to share their knowledge with the investor community.

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Awards & Recognition

New Year Honours

Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

Jan 2011

London, UK

Justin was appointed a CBE for his services to the retail industry in HM The Queen’s New Year Honours List in 2011.

Management Today

Most Admired Business Leader

2013

London, UK

Management Today named Justin the Most Admired Business Leader for his impact as CEO of Sainsbury's and for achieving the 35th consecutive quarter of growth for the retailer.

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Justin King’s Education

University of Bath

Bachelor of Commerce, Business Administration