John Lewis Partnership Chair urges Jersey firms to look at employee ownership

Tuesday 09 June 2015

Business owners in Jersey have been encouraged to explore an employee-owned model by Sir Charlie Mayfield, Chairman of the John Lewis Partnership.

Sir Charlie was in Jersey to visit partners in the three Waitrose stores and meet business leaders and local politicians.

He said that small and mid-sized businesses, family firms and knowledge-intensive companies were best suited to employee ownership and predicted that they would be the biggest creators of new jobs over the next decade.

They were also among the most profitable and productive companies in contrast to the flat UK economy.

"We're already starting to see an uplift in the number of businesses exploring the model. Membership of the Employee Ownership Association has doubled in the last year," he said.

"I'm told the Partnership is the only EO business in the Channel Islands so I'd like to encourage business owners to explore the option. The John Lewis Partnership and the industry body, the Employee Ownership Association, will be on hand with advice and guidance and more and more advisers are equipped to help you through that transition."