John had a long career in the City starting in 1966, first qualifying as a chartered accountant and then as a banker and corporate financier at Kleinwort Benson, at Lazard Brothers as Deputy Chairman, at Credit Suisse First Boston Europe as Chairman He was also Chairman of Hammerson plc, Deputy Chairman of Kingfisher plc, and non-executor director of BT Group and JP Morgan Cazenove. He was also a Trustee of the National Gallery and its Deputy Chair.
He was a member of the UK Prime Minister's Business Advisory Group and a member of the International Advisory Panel of the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
He retired as Chairman of Lloyds of London in 2017 after six years in office.
He is a Deputy Lieutenant of West Sussex and was awarded the CBE in 2017.
He is now Chairman of the Chichester Harbour Trust. Founded in 2002, the Trust is a registered charity dedicated to the protection of Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Trust believes that the strongest method of protection is by direct control through ownership or long leases, which they strive to achieve. Chichester Harbour Trust now safeguard over 375 acres of land across 15 sites throughout the AONB, working in close partnership with Chichester Harbour Conservancy, the local authorities and the harbour community.
John gave a presentation about this work at the 2023 Camrose Weekend.