The Prince and Princess of Wales have beefed up their team of advisors with the man credited for turning around Tesco.
Nicknamed ‘drastic Dave’ for his willingness to employ the kind of cost-cutting measures that others fear to, Sir David Lewis has been described by one source as a ‘genius’ appointment.
As of this week he has been appointed as a director of William and Kate’s The Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales.
It is the umbrella organisation for all of the couple’s major philanthropic efforts, covering areas as diverse as conservation, mental health and the emergency services and well as the princess’ work in the ‘early years’ sector and the prince’s Earthshot environmental prize.
Sir David Lewis, pictured in 2017, has been described as a ‘genius’ appointment. He is credited with saving Tesco – and led the launch of the phenomenally successful Dove brand
The prince and princess have quietly shelved plans to appoint a new CEO to run their royal household this year as they focus on Kate’s cancer diagnosis and ongoing treatment
The trustees – led by former Tory leader Lord Hague – each undertake a balance of responsibilities divided between strategic direction, governance, oversight and fundraising.
They meet at least quarterly on a formal basis and are accountable in law for the work of the Foundation.
They will also meet and speak regularly to the prince and princess.
Sir David, 59, worked at Unilever for 27 years, where he rose to become president of global personal care and was credited as the brains behind the launch of the phenomenally-successful ‘Dove’ brand.
It was also there that he earned his reputation for taking tough decisions, particularly in terms of cutting company spending.
In a surprise move he left to become CEO of Tesco in 2014 at a particularly difficult time for the supermarket giant.
It had just posted a £6.4billion loss, with sales slumping to their lowest level in 20 years after being hit by cut-price newcomers Aldi and Lidl.
It was also teetering on the brink of a major accounting scandal after overstating its profits, which saw the value of its shares plummet.
However the Yorkshire-born, Nottingham Polytechnic-educated executive didn’t blink and was credited with turning around the supermarket chain’s fortunes during his six-year stint.
Drastic Dave lived up to his name by slashing superfluous parts of the empires, cutting thousands of jobs – and perks such as private jets – as well as reducing product lines.
And just two years on, he was able to report annual profits of £162million – and rising.
He also sharpened up the firm’s social responsibility credentials, a move that will no doubt have gone down well at Kensington Palace.
In 2020 he was also asked by the Government for advice on how to fix the food supply chain crisis during the Covid pandemic.
Sir David left Tesco the same year without another job to go to, declaring his work was done.
The self-confessed fitness fanatic, who lives in Richmond, Surrey, with his second wife, Helena, candidly admitted he wanted to ‘take some proper time out with my family’ – he has two daughters by his first marriage – and to ‘recharge my batteries’ as ‘you pass this way only once’.
However he has not stayed idle, joining a start-up renewable energy company – right up William’s street – and holding roles within a range of companies including Morrisons, PepsiCo and healthcare firm Haleon.
He is also a director of the World Wildlife Fund, which is also sure to have gone down well with the prince.
He was knighted in 2021 for services to business.
The Royal Foundation, set up in 2009, supports Kate and William’s non-profit work
Sir Dave Lewis was earlier this year brought in by the owners of Morrisons in an advisory role. Pictured: Sir Dave speaking at the British Chambers of Commerce conference in 2019
One royal source described his appointment to the Royal Foundation as ‘genius’, noting that William and Kate had taken care to attract trustees from a wide variety of backgrounds including film producer Dame Pippa Harris, entrepreneur and former Worldpay CEO Sir Ron Kalifa, lawyer Claire Wills, former BBC executive Alice Webb and make-up superbrand Charlotte Tilbury’s CEO Lady Pinsent.
They described the couple as quietly laying ‘strong foundations’ for their future philanthropic work.
The prince and princess have, however, quietly shelved plans to appoint a new CEO to run their royal household this year as they focus on Kate’s cancer diagnosis and ongoing treatment.
The search was announced last September amid suggestions the Prince wanted a ‘revolutionary’ restructure to make their household more corporate.