John Allan (businessman)

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

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, deputy chairman of retailer Dixons Carphone and a non-executive director at Royal Mail. He was also previously chairman of Samsonite and he has been a non-executive director at National Grid, PHS Group and Hamleys. Allan was noted as an instrumental figure in the £3.7 billion merger of Dixons and Carphone Warehouse.

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 chair 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".