05 / Strategic Partnerships · John Lewis Partnership
Knowing what to own.
Choosing who to partner with.
A partnership strategy shaped around JLP’s commercial ambition and customer promise.
The ambition
Bring a retailer’s estate, brand and customer relationships together with a partner’s capital and residential expertise. Decide what to retain, where to partner and how the businesses would work together.
Katherine’s role
Katherine translated between retail leaders, property teams and institutional investors. She defined retained roles and partner capabilities, then directed selection around commercial terms, cultural fit and the customer promise.
The results
A £500m partnership built on more than capital.
The partnership brought institutional backing and investment expertise together with a trusted consumer brand and a clear resident proposition. Its strength lay in the shared long-term ambition, complementary capabilities and alignment needed to build an integrated Living platform.
The principles
A shared long-term view.
Values that match the brand’s.
Residents first, because that’s where the value is.
Why this partner
Culture first: a partner who shared the brand’s values and its commitment to residents. Then track record: a proven institutional investor with the credibility to back a new entrant.
The lesson
Agree what matters before you agree the terms.