CEO Andrew Murphy has been awarded an OBE for services to retail and thanks those who work alongside him at The Entertainer.

The Entertainer has offered its congratulations to group chief executive officer, Andrew Murphy, on being recognised with the award of an OBE for services to retail, in the 2024 King’s New Years Honours list.

Over the last 20 years, alongside his leadership roles for The John Lewis Partnership and The Entertainer, Andrew has worked across the UK in a series of voluntary roles, leading retail industry engagement with national and local government and cross-sector efforts to strengthen the UK’s retail economy, with a particular focus on town and city-centres.

Starting with his role as chair of the Aberdeen City Centre Association, Andrew went on to lead the development, and become founding chair, of Scotland’s first city centre Business Improvement District (Essential Edinburgh). Having served for many years on the board of the Scottish Retail Consortium he became SRC Chair in 2017 and, following a three year term, during which the case for a Scottish retail strategy was accepted by the Scottish Government, Andrew became Scotland’s first Ministerial co-chair of the government’s Retail Industry Leadership Group, the delivery vehicle for industrial strategy.

Elsewhere in the UK, Andrew held board roles in Business LDN (at the time known as ‘London First’) where he worked on The London Plan and chaired the cross-sectoral UK China Visa Alliance, culminating in the co-launch of significant improvements in the UK’s visa processes with then Home Secretary, Theresa May.

The Entertainer founder & executive chairman, Gary Grant, commented: “We are thrilled that Andrew is being recognised in this way. It’s a testament to his depth of understanding and commitment to the retail environment and the future of our industry. “

Andrew Murphy added: “I’m delighted, and a bit taken aback, to have been recognised in such a significant and unexpected way. However, throughout the two decades in which I’ve worked to advocate and develop the UK’s retail industry, for not one second was I working alone and often my contribution was a fraction of that delivered by those who worked alongside me. My thoughts and grateful thanks go to those dedicated and inspirational people who make-up the many organisations with which I’ve been privileged and proud to be associated.”