The Business of Balance

As Managing Director at John Lewis for 21 years, Maggie Porteous has learnt that work and home life can influence each other for the better.

Maggie started out with John Lewis as a graduate trainee, but was snapped up after 14 months for a two-year management programme to take on a department management job. She quickly rose up the ranks and seven years ago became Managing Director at Cheadle. For the past five years she has also taken on the additional role of MD at the Trafford Centre store.

Maggie completed a Business Studies degree at Middlesex University, on a four-year placement course. During that time she worked for computing company NCR, which she credits with providing her with the experience in marketing and advertising that she was able to utilise in her current role. However, she missed the customer contact and decided to go into business retail upon graduating. “Each week I’m now working with 1,600 members of staff across the two sites and no day is ever the same,” she says.

Splitting her time between stores and regular travel to London means it can be difficult for Maggie to balance her work with raising her two young boys. Luckily, she has “fabulous support and an amazing husband” who works from home. She admits: “It can be hard and there have been times when I’ve missed out on things with the family as a result of work commitments. But I think whatever you do as a mother you feel guilt.”

For Maggie though, having a family has affected her working life in a positive way. “I feel better able to juggle things, which has improved my management skills,” she says. For her, having children has given her a fuller experience of life and means she is better able to empathise with the issues of her colleagues.

Both Maggie and her husband had busy jobs when they decided to have children, so they chose to move back up North to be nearer her parents. She believes that as a mother it’s important to do what’s right for yourself and not worry about what other people think.

In recent years, the company has modernised considerably and Maggie has been there to see the business brought forward. “John Lewis has a strong culture and ethos to provide an excellent level of service,” she says. “Structures and processes have changed, but great service remains.” Most recently, the company spent £2.4million refurbishing the fashion floor at Cheadle. For Maggie, to be at the heart of a business that is continually evolving keeps the job interesting, and with a number of projects set for the future, she tells us to watch this space!