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John Allan

b. 1948

English businessman

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About John Allan

Born 1948. John Allan is a British manager.

John Murray Allan (born 20 August 1948) is a British businessman. He is chair of the housebuilder Barratt Developments, and was president and vice president of the Confederation of British Industry, and chairman of the supermarket chain Tesco.

Early life John Murray Allan was born on 20 August 1948. Allan attended St Andrew’s High School in Kirkcaldy, and studied mathematics at University of Edinburgh.

Career Allan's experience spans retail, logistics and housebuilding. He was chief executive of Exel, chief financial officer of Deutsche Post,

In February 2011, Home Secretary Theresa May announced that Allan would join the Home Office as a non-executive member of its supervisory board in an attempt to bring business experience into the government department.

Allan was elected as president of the CBI on 19 June 2018, and was elected for a second term at the 18 June 2019 annual general meeting of members. Allan was succeeded by Lord Karan Bilimoria as president of the organisation on 16 June 2020, and served as vice president from then until stepping down from the board on 21 October 2021.

Allan took over as chairman of Tesco from Sir Richard Broadbent in March 2015. In May 2023 Allan announced he would step down as chairman of the board in June 2023 after admitting making a comment to a female CBI worker in late 2019 about a dress suiting her figure. He was set to continue as chairman of the housebuilder Barratt Developments until September 2023 but on 23 May, Allan said he would be "stepping down as chairman of Barratt Developments plc as of 30 June 2023".

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Important facts

Born
1948
Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
University of Edinburgh
Positions held
Chief executive officer, President, Président-directeur général, Chief financial officer
Awards
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Also known as
John Allan CBE, John Murray Allan, John M. Allan

People in John Allan's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped John Allan's

Frequently asked questions

Who is John Allan?

English businessman

When was John Allan born?

John Allan was born in 1948.

What is John Allan's occupation?

John Allan is a manager.

What nationality is John Allan?

John Allan is British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: John Allan

· Wikidata: Q1625109

· DBpedia: John Allan (businessman)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Allan. https://biography.guide/john-allan-manager/

MLA: "John Allan." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-allan-manager/.

Chicago: "John Allan." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-allan-manager/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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