Before joining Sainsbury’s, Tim was Legal Director and Company Secretary at global supply chain business Exel plc from 1994 to 2001, where he oversaw the merger with Ocean Group plc in 2000. He began his career as a lawyer at Clifford Chance, giving him a strong technical foundation in complex, cross-border transactions and regulatory matters. Across these roles he has worked closely with high-profile Chairs, CEOs and Non-Executive Directors on boardroom culture, succession, practical governance and the real dynamics of effective decision-making.

In his portfolio career, Tim combines non-executive roles with coaching and mentoring of senior leaders. He is a Non-Executive Director at the Government Legal Department, where he chairs the Talent and Remuneration Committee, a Trustee of Save the Children and Chair of its Audit and Risk Committee, and Chair of The Sainsbury Archive. He brings to these roles over 25 years of boardroom experience, ensuring that boards are effective as teams and that individual directors can add maximum value in a well-governed, psychologically safe environment.

Tim has a long-standing commitment to disability inclusion and broader diversity. He was Sainsbury’s Board Sponsor for Disability and Carers for more than 10 years and a member of the Board’s DE&I Steering Group as the company became recognised as a leader in disability inclusion. In 2016 he was appointed by the Disability Minister to establish and chair the Business Leaders Group, advising government on strategy for the employment of disabled people and on the flagship Disability Confident Scheme.