Directorate Change

Sainsbury(J) PLC
05 July 2005





5th July 2005



J Sainsbury plc announces appointment of senior independent director



Sainsbury's today announces the appointment of John McAdam (57) to its Board.
Dr McAdam will become the company's senior independent director and will join
Sainsbury's on 1 September.  He is currently chief executive of ICI and was
previously with Unilever.



Philip Hampton, chairman of Sainsbury's said, 'In December 2004 we announced the
appointment of Bob Stack and Gary Hughes as non-executive directors.  Darren
Shapland will shortly join as chief financial officer. Today's announcement is
another important step in rebuilding our Board and I'm delighted to welcome John
to Sainsbury's.  He is highly regarded for his pragmatic approach to operational
and strategic issues and has led the revitalisation of ICI over the past two
years.



'Justin King has significantly strengthened the operating board during the past
year and I believe Sainsbury's now has a very strong executive and non-executive
team.'







Notes

•         John McAdam: chief executive of ICI since April 2003.  He joined the
Company in 1997 following the acquisition of the Speciality Chemicals businesses
from Unilever and was appointed a director in 1999. He joined Unilever in 1974
as a management trainee and held a variety of managerial positions within Birds
Eye Foods before joining the Board of Unilever's flavours and fragrance
business.  In 1987, he joined the Board of Quest International as Senior Vice
President in charge of Manufacturing, Logistics and Procurement.  He returned to
Birds Eye Walls to assume Board responsibility for Manufacturing, Research and
Development. In 1993 he was appointed Chairman of Unichema International and,
following ICI's acquisition of the Unilever Speciality Chemical businesses in
1997, became Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Quest and a member of the
ICI Executive Management Team.  In January 1998 he was appointed Chairman and
Chief Executive of ICI Paints. In 1999 he was elected to the Board of ICI with
responsibility for Research, Development and Technology and ICI's activities in
Asia.

John McAdam is a member of the University of Cambridge Chemistry Advisory Board,
and the University of Surrey Business Advisory Board.

•         The Board of J Sainsbury plc is chaired by Philip Hampton.  Justin
King, chief executive, is an executive director and Darren Shapland will be
chief financial officer and an executive direcor when he joins the company on 1
August.  Non-executive directors are June de Moller, Jamie Dundas, Bridget
Macaskill, Bob Stack and Gary Hughes.





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