Justin King

Justin King is a distinguished businessman who has spent his career transforming iconic brands into the successes they are today. Renowned as the former CEO of Sainsbury’s, Justin is acclaimed for his “Make Sainsbury’s Great Again” plan, in which he tripled profits and delivered a shareholder return of 85%. Currently the Chair of the Board of OVO Energy and Advisory Board Member of Boxfund VC and Nuud, Justin brings his three decades of experience in customer-facing businesses to the table. Now also hired as a keynote speaker, Justin advocates for sustainable business and shares his top tips on growing and scaling businesses.

An iconic career marked by some of the country's most-loved brands, Justin’s decorated career began as a Graduate Trainee at Mars Incorporated. In 1989, he became the Sales & Marketing Director of PepsiCo in the Middle East, establishing his reputation for savvy marketing pitches. In 1990, Justin joined Grand Metropolitan, now known as Diageo Plc, as the Managing Director UK of their brand, Häagen-Dazs. Launching the much-loved ice cream in the UK, Justin later became the Managing Director of the Hypermarkets Division for Asda and the Head of Food at Marks & Spencer. In 2004, Justin began his role as the CEO of Sainsbury’s – a tenure marked by controversy, but majorly great success for the supermarket chain.

In recognition of his prominence in the retail industry, Justin was appointed CBE in 2011 and named as one of the Most Admired Business Leaders by Management Today. He was also bestowed with an Honorary Doctorate from Bournemouth University. Since leaving his mark at Sainsbury’s and passing the reins to his successor, Mike Coupe, Justin’s focus has included several board memberships and advisory roles. He has been the Vice Chairman of Terra Firma, the Interim Chairman of the Manor Marussia F1 Team, Director of Wyevale Garden Centres, Non-Executive Director of M&S and Non-Executive Chairman of Itsu Grocery. He has also been the Chairman of Allwyn Entertainment Ltd and the Chair of Dexters, along with sitting on the Public Interest Body of PwC. 

Having been one of the youngest CEOS in FTSE 100 history, Justin King is a renowned businessman, highly sought after as a keynote speaker to share his successes. From helping Sainsbury’s achieve twelve consecutive quarters of sales to fostering their strong relationship with Comic Relief and driving the force behind Sainsbury’s Paralympic Games sponsorship, Justin’s impact on this iconic British retailer is exemplary. If you are looking for a keynote speaker who is an expert on growth, scale, retail, business management, customer service and consumer behaviour, look no further than retail mogul, Justin King CBE.