Mark Price, Baron Price
{{Short description|British businessperson}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = The Right Honourable
| name = The Lord Price
| honorific-suffix = {{Post-nominals|country = GBR|size=100%|CVO}}
| image = lordprice.jpg
| image_size =
| caption =
| office = Minister of State for Trade and Investment
| term_start = 4 April 2016
| term_end = 28 September 2017
| predecessor = The Lord Maude of Horsham
| successor = The Baroness Fairhead
| primeminister = David Cameron
Theresa May
| office2 = Member of the House of Lords
| status2 = Lord Temporal
| term_label2 = Life peerage
| term_start2 = 21 March 2016
| term_end2 =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1961|3|2|df=y}}
| birth_place = Crewe, England
| death_date =
| death_place =
| residence = Sturminster Newton
| alma_mater = London Business School
Lancaster University
| occupation = Businessman
| party = Conservative
| spouse = Judith Bolt
| children = Two
}}
Mark Ian Price, Baron Price {{Post-nominals|CVO|country = GBR}} (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.{{cite news|first=Elizabeth|last=Rigby|title=Lunch with the FT: Mark Price|newspaper=Financial Times|date=June 19, 2010|url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/6d6b0688-7a60-11df-9cd7-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1j3CR22Jb}}{{cite news|first=Chris|last=Blackhurst|title=The jolly grocer who's made Waitrose the chain to watch|newspaper=London Evening Standard|date=December 15, 2010|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/business/the-jolly-grocer-who-s-made-waitrose-the-chain-to-watch-6547197.html}}{{cite news|first=David|last=Teather|title='To be honest, I'm all about a love of food. The fact is I am chubby'|newspaper=The Guardian|date=5 October 2007|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2007/oct/05/retail1}}{{cite news|first=Rupert|last=Uloth|title=Interview: Waitrose MD Mark Price|newspaper=Country Life|date=24 January 2008|url=http://www.countrylife.co.uk/countryside/pursuits/article/175773/Interview-Waitrose-MD-Mark-Price.html}}{{Cite web|title=The Prince's Countryside Fund |url=http://www.princescountrysidefund.org.uk/about/trustees |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100911091756/http://www.princescountrysidefund.org.uk/about/trustees |url-status=dead |archive-date=2010-09-11 |website=www.princescountrysidefund.org.uk |access-date=2016-02-20 }} He joined the Conservative government as the Minister of State for Trade and Investment in April 2016.{{cite web|title=Ministerial appointment: Mark Ian Price|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ministerial-appointment-mark-ian-price|accessdate=10 February 2016}}
On 3 September 2017 it was announced that Price would leave the government; on 28 September Rona Fairhead was appointed to succeed him.{{Cite web|title=Greg Hands to take over responsibility for trade policy as Lord Price pursues business and writing interests |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/greg-hands-to-take-over-responsibility-for-trade-policy-as-lord-price-pursues-business-and-writing-interests |website=www.gov.uk |access-date=2017-09-05}}{{cite web|title=New ministerial appointments September 2017: DfE and DIT|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-ministerial-appointments-september-2017-dfe-and-dit|accessdate=28 September 2017}}
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.
In 1984 Price married Jane Platt at Christchurch Priory in Dorset
Career
He started his career at the John Lewis Partnership as a graduate trainee in 1982,[https://web.archive.org/web/20100911091756/http://www.princescountrysidefund.org.uk/about/trustees The Prince's Countryside Fund trustees] 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.{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/10204434/Waitrose-chief-Mark-Price-named-deputy-chairman-of-John-Lewis.html|title=Waitrose chief Mark Price named deputy chairman of John Lewis|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|first=Steve|last=Hawkes|date=26 July 2013|accessdate=4 November 2014}}
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.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/waitrose-chief-mark-price-quits-to-take-top-job-at-channel-4-a6700876.html|newspaper=The Independent|title=Waitrose boss Mark Price resigns|first=Hazel|last=Sheffield|date=20 October 2015|access-date=29 November 2015}} Suggestions had been made saying that Mark may apply for the chairman position of Channel 4.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/oct/20/waitrose-boss-mark-price-quits|title=Waitrose boss Mark Price quits to 'head Channel 4'|first1=Sean|last1=Farrell|first2=Mark|last2=Sweney|date=20 October 2015|access-date=29 November 2015|newspaper=The Guardian}}
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 Lord Price, of Sturminster Newton in the County of Dorset.{{London Gazette |issue=61516 |date=4 March 2016 |page=4714 }} He left the Government in September 2017.
Since 2018 Price has been on the Council at Lancaster University and Chair of Fairtrade UK [https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/Media-Centre/News/April-2018/Lord-Price-Announced-as-Fairtrade-Foundations-New-Chair-of-Trustees].
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 {{Cite web|title=Engaging Business|url=https://engaging.business/|access-date=2020-09-30|website=engaging.business}} and WorkL,{{Cite web|title=WorkL|url=https://workl.co/|access-date=2020-09-30|website=workl.co}} 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
Price has served as Chairman of Business in the Community since 2011 and The Prince's Countryside Fund since 2010.{{cite web|url=http://www.channel4.com/info/corporate/about/channel-4-board|title=Channel 4 Board|publisher=Channel 4}} 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.{{London Gazette|issue=60728|supp=y|page=4|date=31 December 2013}}{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/honours-list/10542766/New-Year-Honours-2014-list-in-full.html|title=New Year Honours 2014: list in full|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date=30 December 2013}} Price is also a Life Patron at GroceryAid.{{Cite web|title = Trustees and Patrons {{!}} Grocery Aid|url = https://www.groceryaid.org.uk/about-us/who-we-are/trustees-and-patrons/|website = Grocery Aid|accessdate = 2015-12-23|url-status = dead|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20151223042701/https://www.groceryaid.org.uk/about-us/who-we-are/trustees-and-patrons/|archivedate = 2015-12-23}}
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 {{Cite web|title=The Foolish King - learn and play chess for free|url=https://thefoolishking.com/|access-date=2020-09-30|website=The Foolish King}} website helps children learn how to play chess in a fun and exciting way.
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.
References
External links
- [http://www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk/about/waitrose/management-team.html Waitrose]
=Audio clips=
- [http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b011pnml Interview on 11 June 2011] on The Bottom Line
- [http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0091g9c Interview on 26 July 2010] on You and Yours
=Video clips=
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=685EoTLOKUk BITC in March 2011]
{{S-start}}
{{S-bus}}
{{S-bef|before= Steven Esom }}
{{S-ttl|title=Managing Director
of Waitrose|years=2007–2016 }}
{{S-aft|after= Incumbent}}
{{S-bef|before= David Barclay }}
{{S-ttl|title=Non-Executive Deputy Chairman
of the John Lewis Partnership|years=2013–2016 }}
{{S-aft|after= Incumbent}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before = The Lord Maude of Horsham}}
{{s-ttl|title = Minister of State for
Trade and Investment|years = 2016–2017}}
{{s-aft|after = Rona Fairhead}}
{{s-prec|uk}}
{{s-bef|before=The Lord Bird}}
{{s-ttl|title=Gentlemen
Baron Price }}
{{s-fol|after=The Lord Gadhia}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Price, Mark Ian}}
Category:Alumni of Lancaster University
Category:Alumni of Bowland College, Lancaster
Category:British retail chief executives
Category:Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order
Category:Conservative Party (UK) life peers
Category:John Lewis Partnership people