John Lewis (businessman)

Sir John Henry James Lewis, OBE (born 1940) is a British businessman, solicitor and charity executive. He has been chairman of Photo-Me International since 2010 and the Attingham Trust since 1990.

Early life and education

Born in 1940, Lewis is the son of Leonard Lewis, QC, and his wife Rita.^[1] He attended the independent boarding school Shrewsbury School and then University College London, graduating from the latter with a law degree.^[1]

Career

Law and business

Lewis was admitted a solicitor in 1966;^[1] he became a partner at Lewis Lewis and Co., which merged with Jacques and Co. to form Lewis and Jacques before merging finally in 1995 into Eversheds,^[2][3] where Lewis was a consultant between 1995 and 2020.^[1] Lewis was also chairman of Cliveden Plc between 1984 and 2002, and has been chairman of Photo-Me International since 2010,^[1] having joined its board of directors in 2008.^[4]

Public and charitable service

Lewis served on the British Tourist Authority's board in the 1990s.^[1] He has been chairman of the Attingham Trust since 1990 and the Public Monuments and Sculpture Association since 2013.^[1] He chaired the Wallace Collection between 1997 and 2004, and the Hertford House Trust for ten years until 2014,^[1] and has been a trustee for a number of charitable foundations relating to art and the preservation of historic buildings or gardens.^[1]

Honours and awards

Lewis was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2004 for "services to Arts" in connection with work with the Wallace Collection.^[5] He was knighted in the 2019 New Year Honours for "services to the Arts and Philanthropy".^[6]