Clayton, Dubilier & Rice ('CD&R') has named Sir Dave Lewis as an Operating Advisor to CD&R funds. Leveraging his extensive 30-year leadership background in the global Consumer Goods and Retail sectors, Sir Dave will assist the Firm in identifying and assessing new investment prospects while providing support to its portfolio companies in Europe. Sir Dave Lewis currently serves as the Chairman of the consumer health company Haleon, overseeing its spinoff from GSK. He also holds a position on the board of the multinational food and snack company PepsiCo. Sir Dave's professional journey began at consumer goods giant Unilever, where he started as a graduate trainee and eventually joined the Global Executive Team, initially as President Americas and later as Global President for Personal Care, accumulating 28 years with the company.
From 2014 to 2020, Sir Dave held the role of Chief Executive Officer at Tesco, where he successfully led the recovery of its prominent market position. During his tenure, substantial operational performance improvements were achieved, accompanied by significant corporate repositioning, including divestments of businesses in Korea and Thailand. In the UK, Tesco executed a £3.7 billion merger with the country's largest wholesaler, Booker, establishing a formidable retail and wholesale entity.
Dave Novak, Co-President of CD&R, commended Sir Dave as an exceptional executive with a stellar reputation for innovation, value creation, and growth. Novak expressed confidence that Sir Dave's knowledge and experience over three decades would greatly benefit CD&R funds as they consider new investments and work towards building stronger, more sustainable businesses across Europe.
CD&R Partner Marco Herbst highlighted Sir Dave's shared belief in the European consumer and emphasized the transformative impact of his operational expertise. Herbst expressed delight in welcoming Sir Dave as an Operating Advisor to CD&R funds, anticipating collaborative efforts to grow and enhance the businesses invested in. Sir Dave Lewis expressed his confidence in the robust operating and investment expertise of CD&R across various sectors in Europe. He looks forward to collaborating with CD&R's investment and operating teams, as well as the management teams of the Firm’s portfolio companies, to identify investment opportunities, support strong performance, and create enduring businesses for the future.