John Kempner, vision buyer at department store chain John Lewis, is retiring at the end of this month.
He joined the business in 1994 as audio and TV buyer.
Prior to working for John Lewis, Mr Kempner held positions at Dixons and Currys. He has spent more than 40 years in the consumer-electronics industry, starting out in 1977 as a product manager for the Alba Consumer Electronics brand, which was founded by his great-grandfather, Alfred Balcombe.
Speaking exclusively to ERT, Mr Kempner said: “I’ve absolutely loved my time managing and buying the CE category. I’ve been very lucky to have been working in this industry for the time I have. I will miss the buzz – the new products and hearing about the latest thing – and I will certainly miss the interaction with people whom I regard as good friends.”
