The new structure has seen the appointment of a new executive team, with Nina Bhatia being the latest addition. She is joining as the group’s new executive director of strategy and commercial development. Described as a ‘leader in disruptive, digitally-led businesses’, Bhatia brings a wealth of industry knowledge, having held the role of managing director of Hive, one of Europe’s largest connected home businesses, between 2015 and 2018. “Nina brings tremendous commercial and strategic experience and will play a crucial role as part of the newly-formed Future Partnership executive team,” said Sharon White, who took up her new role as chairman of the business. With falling sales and profits, the retail group will need all the help it can get. Over the all important Christmas trading period, gross sales at the John Lewis Partnership fell 1.8% versus the previous year, and the company warned that full-year profits at its department store brand will be “substantially down” on last year.