Tesco PLC has announced the appointment of Dame Carolyn Fairbairn to its board as a NED. Fairbairn will also be appointed as a member of the remuneration committee and corporate responsibility committee.

Fairbairn is currently a non-executive director of HSBC Holdings and chair of the board of trustees of Royal Mencap Society. She served as the director-general of the Confederation of British Industry from 2015 to 2020, having held senior executive positions at the BBC and ITV, and been a partner at McKinsey & Co. She was a member of the Number 10 Policy Unit when John Major was prime minister.

A former non-executive director of the Financial Services Authority, Fairbairn has also served as a NED of Lloyds Banking Group, The Vitec Group, Capita, BAE Systems and UK Competition and Markets Authority.

John Allan, chair, commented: “I’m delighted to welcome Carolyn to the board as a non-executive Director. As a highly regarded business leader with a deep understanding of the macroeconomic and political environment with significant experience across the media, government and finance sectors, Carolyn will be a real asset to the board.”