Sharon White, Baroness White of Tufnell Park
Sharon Michele White, Baroness White of Tufnell Park, is a British businesswoman, economist, and civil servant. She is the current Senior Managing Director and Head of Global Affairs at the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec in London. She was previously the sixth Chairman of the John Lewis Partnership and Chief Executive of Ofcom. In July 2025, she was created a life peer, sitting in the House of Lords as a crossbencher.
Early life
White was born in east London and brought up in Leyton, where she attended Connaught School for Girls for three years when it was a middle school followed by Leyton Senior High School for Girls. Her parents migrated to the UK from Jamaica in the 1950s. She attended Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, graduating with a BA degree in economics, and later earned an MSc degree in economics from University College London.Career
White joined the British civil service in 1989 and held positions at the Treasury, the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., the No.10 Policy Unit under the Blair government, the World Bank, and as Director General at the Department for International Development. She later worked at the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Work and Pensions.At HM Treasury, White was Director General for Public Spending and became Second Permanent Secretary in 2013, overseeing the government’s response to the 2008 financial crisis. She was the first black person and second woman to hold the post.
Ofcom (2015–2019)
In December 2014, White was appointed Chief Executive of Ofcom, succeeding Ed Richards. She led Ofcom from 2015 to 2019, overseeing reforms in the UK communications and media sector.John Lewis Partnership (2020–2024)
White succeeded Charlie Mayfield as Chairman of the John Lewis Partnership on 4 February 2020. Her tenure included overseeing strategic restructuring during a period of financial challenges for the retailer, including the suspension of staff bonuses and the temporary removal of the “Never Knowingly Undersold” policy. She stepped down in September 2024, earlier than initially planned, following the appointment of Jason Tarry as her successor.Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (2025–present)
In November 2024, it was announced that White would join the Canadian pension fund manager Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec as Managing Director and Head of Europe, effective 27 January 2025.Later in 2025, she was promoted to Senior Managing Director and Head of Global Affairs, based in London, representing CDPQ in its international markets and stakeholder engagements.
Recognition and honours
White was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2020 New Year Honours for public service.She topped the 2023 Powerlist of the 100 most influential Black Britons. She has also appeared regularly in previous editions of the list since 2016.
Other appointments
White is a visiting fellow of Nuffield College, Oxford.She was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of Barratt Developments in 2018.
She also serves as Non-Executive Chair of Frontier Economics and is on the board of Sadler's Wells Theatre.