AUTUMN 13
BUSINESS LUNCH
a two way street Andy Street fills two major roles in business. He is managing director of John Lewis, which opens a new department store in Birmingham in 2014. He also heads the Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP. Steve Dyson met him for lunch
Can you picture Andy Street standing at the front of a packed, open-topped bus, microphone in hand? No? Well read on, because an unguarded moment is the precious one when searching for the real person behind an interview. And to start with, the demands of corporate life means lunch with Andy Street feels like it’s going to be quite rushed (he’s got less than an hour to spare) and a little stilted (Sophie Traherne, a researcher from the Welsh Conservative group, is shadowing him for the day). Fortunately, the sun’s shining through the roof at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham, the salads are fresh, the fish nicely fried and Sophie is pleasant – and content to remain in the background. All are perfect ingredients for relaxation and, towards the end of our short meeting, Andy mentions in passing that he celebrated his 50th birthday in style earlier this summer. I pounce and persuade him to describe it: he invited 150 friends and family to an exclusive party at the Grade II-listed Highbury Hall in Moseley, Birmingham – the home of civic leader and statesman Joseph Chamberlain from 1880 until his death in 1914. Once they’d all viewed Chamberlain’s desk and the champagne was flowing, a special treat arrived that Andy will only say cost
• enhancing • connecting • developing
him “several hundred pounds”: an opentopped bus to take everyone on a sight-seeing tour of Birmingham. The bus takes in the Cadburys and Birds custard factories, goes through the Jewellery Quarter, stops in front of the historic Council House and Town Hall in Victoria Square, and then runs along Broad Street, the city’s Golden Mile. It travels to Villa Park and Edgbaston cricket ground, passes the Tolkien trail in Hall
The LEP is far, far bigger than this decision about a single pot Green and the world-famous Cardinal Newman Oratory, before re-entering the city from for a memorable panorama of the historic St Martin’s Parish Church – overshadowed by the iconic Selfridges building. “What better way to show off the city that I love,” says Andy, “and to show friends from London and the South East, some with
jaundiced views of Birmingham, just what a great place it is.” And it’s now that I can hear, see and almost feel this man’s genuine passion for the city where he grew up: “What I love about Birmingham is the quality of life. The quality of housing, the social scene, the cultural diversity, the top artists, the world class music and dance, the easy access to leisure – it’s just >> brilliant. There’s a tremendous story to be told about what it’s like to live here.” Andy’s enthusiasm for the West Midlands began as a child. Born in Banbury, he arrived in Northfield, Birmingham, aged just 10 months, attending Green Meadow primary school in Selly Oak. His family then moved to Solihull and Andy went to King Edwards Grammar School in Edgbaston before leaving to study at Oxford University. He started as a graduate trainee at John Lewis and, after management postings in various department stores, head office and manufacturing units, became managing director of John Lewis Milton Keynes in 1993. He moved to the huge John Lewis Bluewater store in Greenhithe, Kent, in 1998, became the company’s supply chain director in 2000, and was appointed to the main partnership board as director of personnel in 2002. >>
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BUSINESS QUARTER | AUTUMN 13