Jean Tomlin OBE

Jean Tomlin

BSc Economic History and Sociology 1977

CEO, Chanzo; Board Member and Chair of the Corporate Responsibility Committee, J Sainsbury Plc

Jean was recognised for her outstanding contribution to human resource management and commitment to corporate social responsibility with a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2013.

Jean began her career as a graduate at Ford Motor Company working in human resources, training and labour relations. Following numerous roles in HR managing large transformation programmes, Jean was appointed Operations and Sales Director for Prudential Direct. Jean was HR Director and a founding member of Egg Plc and Group HR Director at Marks & Spencer Plc.

Her non-executive roles have included serving on the board of the Greenwich Healthcare Trust and the Student Loans Company. She has also been a Commissioner for Judicial Appointments, a member of the Quali­fications and Curriculum Advisory Board, the Race Relations Advisory Group, and a Trustee of CIDA University in South Africa.

In 2006 Jean was appointed Director of HR, Workforce and Accreditation for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. In this role she was accountable for the successful delivery of the Games Maker volunteer programme and oversaw a workforce which included 8,000 paid staff, 70,000 volunteers and more than 100,000 contractors.

In January 2013 she joined the board of J Sainsbury Plc. In addition to her overall board contribution, Jean chairs the company’s Corporate Responsibility Committee and sits on the Remuneration and Nomination Committees. In April 2013 Jean was appointed Independent Director on the board of Michael Kors Holdings Limited. Jean is also Board Director of the Join In Trust, the organisation responsible for taking forward London 2012’s volunteering legacy.

Jean received the CIPD’s Outstanding Contribution Award for services to human resources practice in September 2012 and was awarded an OBE in the New Year’s Honours List 2013 for her contribution to the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Born in London, married and mother of two children, Jean is a runner in her spare time and has completed the London Marathon. At º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ, she resided in Cayley and Falkner Eggington halls during her three-year stay.