Alison Horner

{{Short description|British businesswoman}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Alison Horner

| image =

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| birth_name = Alison Jane Horner

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1966|06}}

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| nationality = British

| education =

| alma mater = University of Manchester
Manchester Business School

| occupation = businesswoman

| title = CEO, Tesco's Asia business

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| known for =

| boards = Tesco, Carillion

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Alison Jane Horner (born June 1966) is a British businesswoman, and, until it was sold in 2020, was the CEO of the Asian arm of the Tesco supermarket chain.

Early life

Alison Jane Horner was born in June 1966. She earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from the University of Manchester, and an MBA from Manchester Business School.{{cite web | url = http://fifty.mbs.ac.uk/#!/people/advisory-board/alison-horner-chief-people-officer-tesco-joins-the-mbs-advisory-board | title = Alison Horner, Chief People Officer, Tesco joins the MBS Advisory Board. Manchester Business School | publisher = Manchester Business School | accessdate = 2018-01-17 }}

Career

=Tesco=

Horner joined Tesco as a personnel manager in 1999 and was on Tesco's executive committee from 2011.{{cite web|url=https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/chief-hr-officers-chro-increasingly-on-ftse-100-boards/|title=Chief HR officers increasingly on FTSE 100 top tables - Personnel Today|date=7 April 2017|publisher=|accessdate=17 January 2018}}

In October 2013, Horner became a founding member of The Guardian's Women in Leadership network.{{cite web|url=https://www.ourtesco.com/2013/04/18/alison-horner-joins-the-guardians-women-in-leadership-network-as-a-founding-member/|title=Alison Horner joins The Guardian's 'Women in Leadership' network as a founding member - Our Tesco|date=18 April 2013|publisher=|accessdate=17 January 2018}} in 2015, she became a member of Alliance Manchester Business School's advisory board.

Horner was Tesco' chief people officer (chief human resources officer) of Tesco until May 2018, when she was promoted to be chief executive of Tesco's Asia business in Malaysia and Thailand,{{cite news |last1=Jahshan |first1=Elias |title=Tesco Asia boss Tony Hoggett returns to UK new COO role |url=https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2018/05/tesco-asia-boss-returns-uk-new-coo-role/ |access-date=14 January 2021 |work=Retail Gazette |date=22 May 2018}} until it was sold in late 2020.{{Cite web|url=https://www.financierworldwide.com/fw-news/2020/3/10/tesco-sells-malaysian-and-thai-assets-to-charoen-for-106bn|title=Tesco sells Malaysian and Thai assets to Charoen for $10.6bn|website=Financier Worldwide|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-03}} She was set to step down in February 2021 after 22 years with Tesco.{{cite news |last1=Treanor |first1=Jill |title=Ex-Carillion boss to leave Tesco |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/ex-carillion-boss-to-leave-tesco-78pswgj9p |access-date=19 January 2021 |work=Sunday Times |date=17 January 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Nazir |first1=Sahar |title=Tesco Asia CEO Alison Horner to step down |url=https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2021/01/tesco-asia-ceo-alison-horner-to-step-down/ |access-date=18 January 2021 |work=Retail Gazette |date=18 January 2021}}

=Carillion non-executive role=

Horner was a non-executive director of Carillion from December 2013, chairing the remuneration committee from June 2014. As of 30 December 2016 her basic compensation was £61,000.{{cite web|url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/03782379/officers|title=CARILLION PLC - Officers (free information from Companies House) |website=beta.companieshouse.gov.uk|accessdate=16 January 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/company-officers/CLLN.L|title=Carillion PLC (CLLN.L) – People | publisher=Reuters |accessdate=16 January 2018}} After the company went into liquidation in January 2018, Horner was one of the non-executive directors who gave evidence to the House of Commons Business and Work and Pensions select committees on 6 February 2018.{{cite web|title=Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee and Work and Pensions Committee Tuesday 6 February 2018|url=http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/08295010-99f1-4e9e-a6c2-0e11f7b09a92|website=Parliament TV|accessdate=8 February 2018}} In the final report of the Parliamentary Inquiry, published on 16 May 2018, Horner was criticised by MPs; the report concluded:

:"... Alison Horner presided over growing salaries and bonuses at the top of the company as its performance faltered. In her evidence to us, she sought to justify her approach by pointing to industry standards, the guidance of advisors, and conversations with shareholders. She failed to demonstrate to us any sense of challenge to the advice she was given, any concern about the views of stakeholders, or any regret at the largesse at the top of Carillion. Ms Horner continues to hold the role of Chief People Officer of Tesco, where she has responsibilities to more than half a million employees. We hope that, in that post, she will reflect on the lessons learned from Carillion and her role in its collapse."{{cite book|title=Carillion: Second Joint report from the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Work and Pensions Committees of Session 2017–19|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmworpen/769/769.pdf|date=2018|publisher=House of Commons|location=London|page=89|accessdate=16 May 2018}}

In January 2021, the Insolvency Service said it would seek to ban eight former Carillion directors, including Horner, from holding senior boardroom positions.{{cite news |last1=Partington |first1=Richard |title=Legal bid launched to ban ex-Carillion directors from top boardroom roles |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/jan/13/legal-bid-launched-ban-ex-carillion-directors-top-boardroom-roles |access-date=13 January 2021 |work=Guardian |date=13 January 2021}}{{cite news |title=Carillion directors face boardroom bans |url=https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/carillion-directors-face-boardroom-bans |access-date=14 January 2021 |work=The Construction Index |date=14 January 2021}} However, a trial due to start on 16 October 2023 was cancelled after the Insolvency Service decided it was not in the public interest to pursue Horner and four others.{{cite news |last1=Weinfass |first1=Iain |title=Insolvency Service drops case against former Carillion chair and CEO |url=https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/sections/contractors/carillion/insolvency-service-drops-case-against-former-carillion-chair-and-ceo-13-10-2023/ |access-date=17 October 2023 |work=Construction News |date=13 October 2023}}

References