Allan Leighton (born April 12, 1953 in Hereford) is an English businessman, and current non-executive Chairman of the Royal Mail
Born in Hereford, the son of a Co-op stores manager, he was raised in Oxford. Educated at Magdalen College School, Brackley he harboured thoughts of becoming a professional footballer, but broke his leg in six places aged 15.[1]
After graduation from North Oxford Polytechnic, he joined Lloyds Bank as a cashier in 1972. Leighton left to join Mars UK in Slough 1974 as a salesman,[2] where he spent 18 years - his compatriots included Justin King, David Cheeseright and Richard Baker. Leighton was appointed General Sales Manager – UK Grocery Division in 1987 (the youngest director in the company worldwide),[1] and subsequently Managing Director of Mars in Ireland and Portugal.[3] Leighton says he owes a lot to the Mars brothers, who gave him the practical basis for much of what he did at Asda: they would fly economy, hire a car and inspect a factory without warning before management arrived, talking to workers to get a sense of what was going on.[4]
Leaving Mars group as marketing and sales director for Pedigree Petfoods, he joined Archie Norman's management team at Asda as Marketing Director in 1992. Sent on Harvard University's Advanced Management Program,[5] Leighton's style was simplistic and very much in touch with the staff, including wearing a badge like all other staff, stating: "Allan - happy to help." Over almost a decade Norman and Leighton transformed Adsa from a £500m company that was on its knees: "We created this culture in Asda which was, we were the underdogs, we were going to fight back."[4] Having effectively copied the successful model of United States retailer Wal-Mart (after Leighton spent time in Wal-Mart's base of Bentonville, Arkansas, John Walton had been to Leighton's home), after he replaced the departed Norman in 1996, Leighton sold the business to Wal-Mart over Kingfisher plc for £6.7 billion in 1999:[6] Sir Geoff Mulcahy, Kingfisher boss at the time, hasn't spoken to Leighton since.[1]
Leighton walked out in 2000 looking for a new challenge, and when ever asked what he was doing next, Leighton would always reply: "I am going plural." To this ends he took on a number of different roles:
Other posts have included non-executive at housebuilder Wilson Connolly and power company Scottish Power,[7] and Chairman of fitness chain Cannons Health Clubs where he wrote a weekly internal newsletter entitled "thoughts from the Jacuzzi."
Currently based half of the time in Montreal, Canada, he is advising retail magnate Galen Weston and his son (G1 and G2, as Leighton calls them) on Canadian retail chain Loblaw (for which he is being paid C$1million),[8] and is Deputy Chairman of Selfridges & Co.
Leighton has made few television appearances, but is currently the "mentor" in Five's show "Breaking into Tesco."'
Leighton is chairman of Business in the Community.[2] Leighton loves sport, and although previously a skier, his knee's still allow him to enjoy running - around 17miles a week in preparation for completing the London Marathon for a second time, in aid of Breast Cancer Care. Leighton has made a one-man bid to raise £1m for Breast Cancer Care, the charity to which he pledges all his earnings from television, speeches and his book "On Leadership."[8]
Leighton's Ten Golden Rules of Business:[9]
Married to Anne but presently separated, the couple have three children.[1] Leighton has homes in Amersham, Middlesex (where he attends Church in Southall),[10] and Montreal, Canada. Leighton doesn’t do lunch - “I come from the Ken Morrison school of lunch: cheese and onion crisps and a Kitkat.”[8]
He supports Leeds United (where he was Deputy Chairman), Leicester Tigers rugby team, Northamptonshire County Cricket Club and the Toronto Maple Leafs ice-hockey team.[8]