Andrew Jennings, extending his portfolio of board and advisory roles, has become chairman of The Prince’s Trust Retail Leadership Group, a high-profile charity started by Prince Charles 41 years ago.
The Prince’s Trust supports about 8,000 disadvantaged young people in the U.K. each year through a range of diverse partnerships.
The Retail Leadership Group is a collaboration of Prince’s Trust corporate partners which include the retail, consumer, leisure and hospitality sectors.
Jennings, during his four-and-a-half-decade long career, has held several top retail posts around the world including general manager of Harrods, managing director of the House of Fraser, deputy chairman of Brown Thomas, president of Holt Renfrew, president of Saks Fifth Avenue and chief executive officer of the Karstadt Group.
As an active member of the Prince’s Trust Retail Leadership Group for the last three years he’s been mentoring young retailers with start-up businesses. As chairman of The Prince’s Trust Retail Leadership Group, Jennings succeeds Lucy Harris, who is a partner at Clarity Search.
“It is estimated that by 2022, over seven million people will be working in the retail and consumer sector, and we have a duty to ensure that young people, whatever their background, can be equipped with the right skills to enter and thrive in the sector,” said Jennings. “Not only will I be working to make sure The Trust receives enough funds to grow its work within retail, leisure and hospitality, but I will also be focused on providing more opportunities for young people to have valuable hands-on experience with The Trust’s retail partners and move into positive outcomes.”
The youth charity partners with such businesses as Marks & Spencer, Cunard, TK Maxx and HomeSense, New Look, Greene King, Asos, Marriott, Gap, Oasis, ASDA, FatFace, Whitbread and SuperGroup.