Mike Coupe
{{Short description|British businessman (b.1960)}}
{{Undisclosed paid|date=December 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Mike Coupe
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name = Michael Andrew Coupe
| birth_date = {{Birth-date and age|26 September 1960}}
| birth_place = Watford, Hertfordshire, England
| death_date =
| death_place =
| education = The Weald School, Billingshurst
| alma_mater = University of Birmingham
| occupation = Businessman
| years_active = 1983–present
| title = Former CEO of Sainsbury's
| term = 2014–2020
| predecessor = Justin King
| successor = Simon Roberts
| spouse = {{marriage|Jill Parkinson|1990}}
| children = 2
}}
Michael Andrew Coupe (born 26 September 1960) is a British businessman who was the CEO of J Sainsbury plc, parent company of the supermarket chain Sainsbury's, from July 2014 until the end of May 2020.
Early life
Coupe was born in Watford, Hertfordshire in 1960.{{cite news|title=5 things you didn't know about new Sainsbury's boss Mike Coupe|url=http://www.cityam.com/blog/1390998054/5-things-you-didnt-know-about-new-sainsburys-boss-mike-coupe|access-date=12 September 2017|work=City A.M.|date=29 January 2014}} He grew up in West Sussex. Coupe received a bachelor's degree in Physics from the University of Birmingham in 1982.
Career
Coupe began his career at Unilever, where he became assistant brand manager for Flora margarine.{{cite news|author1=Zoe Wood|author2=Sarah Butler|title=Mike Coupe: Sainsbury's Mr Straight | Business|newspaper=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/feb/02/mike-coupe-sainsburys-mr-straightforward|access-date=22 December 2016}}{{Cite news|last=Butler|first=Sarah|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/jan/29/mike-coupe-justin-king-successor-sainsburys|title=Mike Coupe: Justin King's successor at Sainsbury's|date=2014-01-29|work=The Guardian|access-date=2020-04-01|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}
Coupe joined Sainsbury's in 2004. In 2010, he became responsible for the marketing, trading and online operations of the company. In January 2014, Sainsbury's then CEO Justin King announced Coupe as his successor, after stating that he would be leaving the role in June 2014.{{cite web|author=James Davey|date=29 January 2014|title=Sainsbury's CEO Justin King to step down in July|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/sainsbury-ceo-idUSL5N0L316N20140129|publisher=Reuters}}
Soon after Coupe's appointment, he announced a strategic review that aimed to address the challenges caused by a changing retail market.{{cite web|last=Ruddick |first=Graham |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/11132532/Sainsburys-to-change-strategy-as-sales-fall-victim-to-radical-change-in-shopping-habits.html |title=Sainsbury's to change strategy as sales fall victim to 'radical' change in shopping habits |publisher=Telegraph |access-date=2020-01-29}} In 2016 he led the takeover of Home Retail Group which included Argos and Habitat.{{cite news|author=Sean Farrell and Sarah Butler |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/feb/02/sainsburys-agrees-terms-13bn-deal-buy-home-retail-group |title=Sainsbury's agrees terms to buy Home Retail Group in £1.3bn deal | Business |work=The Guardian |date=2 February 2016 |access-date=2020-01-29}}
In March 2018 he announced new pay arrangements for colleagues.{{cite web |first=Josie|last=Cox |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/sainsburys-pay-staff-increase-uk-contact-bonus-paid-breaks-workers-a8241761.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220514/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/sainsburys-pay-staff-increase-uk-contact-bonus-paid-breaks-workers-a8241761.html |archive-date=14 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Sainsbury's announces pay rise for store staff and contract shake-up |work=The Independent |date=2018-03-06 |access-date=2020-01-29}}
Coupe oversaw digital transformation and investment at Sainsbury’s, including the introduction of the UK's first till-free stores and the digitisation of the Nectar loyalty card through a new app and website.{{cite web|url=https://www.cityam.com/sainsburys-launches-uks-first-till-free-grocery-store/ |title=Sainsbury's launches UK's first till-free grocery store |publisher=CityAM |date=2019-04-29 |access-date=2020-01-29}}
In January 2020 it was announced that Coupe would retire from his position at the end of May 2020, to be succeeded by Simon Roberts, the company's head of retail and operations.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51203984|title=Sainsbury's boss Mike Coupe in Surprise Exit|publisher=BBC News|date=22 January 2020|access-date=22 January 2020}}{{Cite news|last=Jolly|first=Jasper|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jan/22/sainsburys-chief-executive-mike-coupe-to-step-down-in-may|title=Sainsbury's chief executive Mike Coupe to step down in May|date=2020-01-22|work=The Guardian|access-date=2020-02-07|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}
In October 2020, Coupe took a three-month appointment as head of COVID-19 infection testing at NHS Test and Trace, an outsourced agency created by the government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic,{{Cite web|last=Serle|first=Jack|date=29 September 2020|title=Ex-Sainsbury's boss to join beleaguered Test and Trace as NHS chief returns to trust|url=https://www.hsj.co.uk/coronavirus/exclusive-ex-sainsburys-boss-to-join-beleaguered-test-and-trace-as-nhs-chief-returns-to-trust/7028539.article|access-date=2020-09-30|website=Health Service Journal|language=en}} before being appointed a non-executive director of NHS England from January 2021.{{cite news |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/test-and-traces-mike-coupe-lands-seat-on-nhs-england-board-g7tfvchg8 |title=Test and Trace's Mike Coupe lands seat on NHS England board |last=Chambers |first=Sam |newspaper=The Sunday Times |location=London |url-access=subscription |date=27 December 2020 |access-date=15 February 2022}}{{cite web |url=https://publicappointments.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/appointment/non-executive-directors-of-nhs-england-vac-1698/ |title=HM Government Public Appointments |website=Cabinet Office |via=gov.uk |date=8 October 2020 |access-date=15 February 2022}} In 2022 the Runnymede Trust won a High Court action that the public sector equality duty had not been complied in this appointment, with the trust suggesting that people outside the acquaintance of senior Conservative politicians were not considered.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/feb/15/matt-hancock-broke-law-over-dido-harding-appointment-high-court-rules |title=Matt Hancock failed to comply with equality duty over Dido Harding appointment, court rules |last=Grierson |first=Jamie |newspaper=The Guardian |date=15 February 2022 |access-date=15 February 2022}}
Additionally in January 2021 it was announced that Coupe had been appointed as chairman of Oak Furniture Land.{{Cite web|title=Oak Furnitureland hires ex-Sainsbury's CEO Mike Coupe as chairman|url=https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2021/01/oak-furnitureland-hires-ex-sainsburys-ceo-mike-coupe-as-chairman/|access-date=12 January 2021|website=Retail Gazette|date=12 January 2021 |language=en}}
In July 2021 Coupe was announced as chairman of Harding Brothers Retail Limited.{{Cite web|date=2021-07-22|title=Cruise retailer Harding makes key appointments to leadership team|url=https://www.moodiedavittreport.com/cruise-retailer-harding-makes-key-appointments-to-leadership-team/|access-date=2021-07-27|website=The Moodie Davitt Report|language=en-GB}}
Personal life
He married Jill Parkinson in Richmond upon Thames in May 1990, and they have two daughters. In recent years he has lived in the Holgate area of York but he frequently travels between London and Yorkshire. He is a keen guitarist and also enjoys photography and cycling.{{cite web|url=http://www.cityam.com/blog/1390998054/5-things-you-didnt-know-about-new-sainsburys-boss-mike-coupe |title=5 things you didn't know about new Sainsbury's boss Mike Coupe |publisher=CityAM |date=2014-01-29 |access-date=2020-01-29}}
Coupe became a life patron for GroceryAid in August 2015.{{cite web|title=Mike Coupe to become GroceryAid Life Patron|url=https://www.groceryaid.org.uk/news/mike-coupe-become-groceryaid-life-patron/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151223235655/https://www.groceryaid.org.uk/news/mike-coupe-become-groceryaid-life-patron/|archive-date=23 December 2015|access-date=23 December 2015|website=Grocery Aid}} He was previously the fundraising president from 2012 to 2014.{{cite web|title = GroceryAid announces Mike Coupe is to extend presidency|url = http://www.talkingretail.com/category-news/groceryaid-announces-mike-coupe-is-to-extend-presidency/|website = Talking Retail| date=13 November 2012 |access-date = 23 December 2015}}
Controversies
In April 2018, Coupe took part in interviews in relation to a forthcoming merger between Sainsbury's and Walmart-owned UK subsidiary Asda. After the first interview, during the transition to the next, his microphone remained switched on and he began singing "We're in the Money".{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-43959687|title=Sainsbury's boss sorry for singing We're in the Money|publisher=BBC News|date=1 May 2018|access-date=22 January 2020}} The video was widely shared and critiqued. Coupe later released a statement apologising for his "unfortunate choice of song, from the musical 42nd Street", which he had seen the previous year. Sainsbury's issued a further statement: "We all know these songs stay in your head. To attach any wider meaning to this innocent, personal moment is preposterous."{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/apr/30/sainsburys-mike-coupe-sings-were-in-the-money-itv-asda-merger|title=Sainsbury's chief sings 'We're in the Money' after Asda merger|work=The Guardian|date=30 April 2018|access-date=22 January 2020}}
When the merger failed to get approvals, he accused the Competition and Markets Authority of having "fundamentally moved the goalposts... changed the shape of the ball and chosen a completely different playing field" in its analysis. He said that with "a completely unpredictable set of competition rules, who would invest in this country?", telling BBC Radio 4: "This is just outrageous".{{Cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/4d918f14-6cc6-11e9-80c7-60ee53e6681d|title=Mike Coupe, the Sainsbury's boss, regroups|work=Financial Times|last=Hill|first=Andrew|date=3 May 2019|access-date=22 January 2020}}
In 2019 he was criticised for reducing the amount traditionally paid towards a Christmas party for Argos colleagues, when he sought to bring it in line with money paid towards the Sainsbury’s Christmas party.{{cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/argos-staff-christmas-bonus-cut-20655032|title=Argos staff Christmas bonus cut by boss caught singing 'We're In The Money'|last=Hayward|first=Stephen|date=19 October 2019|website=Mirror Online|access-date=21 October 2019}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{S-start}}
{{S-bus}}
{{S-bef|before= Justin King }}
{{S-ttl|title= CEO of Sainsbury's|years=2014–2020}}
{{S-aft|after= Simon Roberts }}
{{S-end}}
{{Sainsbury's}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coupe, Mike}}
Category:Alumni of the University of Birmingham
Category:British retail chief executives
Category:English businesspeople in retailing
Category:English chief executives