Dame Sharon White took some time out of her busy schedule as she revitalises the iconic British brand. Still run as a partnership, with all employees having shares in the business and enjoying special members only perks, John Lewis has been a stalwart of UK high streets for the past century, yet the advent of online shopping, and the emergence of retail giants like Amazon, plus the lasting effects of lockdown have seen John Lewis having to close stores and drastically rethink their business model.

Huda Abukar, Year 13, reflects on the visit:

"This session was very informative, and I enjoyed hearing/speaking to Dame Sharon White who is an amazing woman, the talk had me leaving with another perspective on how to approach the working world, the benefits and goods that come with being opportunistic and the importance of immersing yourself into your career. What stuck to me from the talk was not taking opportunities for granted and to always be open to job prospective and careers even if you haven't thought of it prior as well as the importance of networking and keeping in touch with a variety of people with different personalities and careers while making sure communication is reciprocated.The overall session gave me some valuable advice and new topics to further explore within the future. Having someone of high calibre and relating to her experiences growing up and her ambitions going into university gave me a sense of hope for the future and what can potentially come about from going with the flow while exploring the working world."