Directorate Change

Sainsbury(J) PLC
10 February 2004

10 February 2004


J Sainsbury plc - Appointment of non-executive Deputy Chairman


J Sainsbury plc today announces that it has appointed Sir Ian Prosser as its
non-executive Deputy Chairman from 29th March 2004.  On that date Sir Peter
Davis, Group Chief Executive, will become Chairman, as previously announced,
succeeding Sir George Bull who will retire from the Board.  Justin King also
joins the Board as Group Chief Executive on that date.


Sir Ian in his role as Deputy Chairman, will become the Senior Independent
Director and will chair the group's nomination committee.  It is intended that
Sir Ian will succeed Sir Peter as Chairman when Sir Peter retires following the
Group's AGM in July 2005.


Sir George Bull said  'As we near the completion of our business transformation
programme, in which we have radically modernised our business, we are moving
into trading more aggressively by investing further in quality and making
Sainsbury's offer a more competitive customer proposition.  The success of this
strategy depends on the talent, vision and skill of our management team and we
are very pleased to have attracted both Ian Prosser and Justin King to the
Board.


'Ian has extensive corporate experience having served on five FTSE 100 boards
including executive board posts as Chief Financial Officer, Chief Executive
Officer and Chairman of Bass plc (renamed Six Continents plc) and more recently
as Chairman of Intercontinental Hotels Group plc.


'My colleagues and I very much look forward to welcoming Ian to the Board.'

For enquiries:

Investor Relations                   Media

Roger Matthews                       Jan Shawe
Lynda Ashton    [phone] Pip Wood [phone]


Notes


1.   Sir Ian Prosser (60) is non-executive Deputy Chairman of BP Plc, where he
chairs the Audit Committee and is the Senior Independent non-executive Director
of GlaxoSmithKline PLC.  He was previously Chairman of Intercontinental Hotels
Group (from which he retired on 31 December 2003), a non-executive Director of
Lloyds TSB Group Plc and The Boots Company Plc.


2.   The appointment of Sir Ian Prosser as Deputy Chairman has been made by the
Board on the recommendation of its nomination committee which is chaired by Sir
George Bull and comprises the other five non-executive directors of the Board.
Whitehead Mann, a leading executive search consultancy, advised the committee on
the appointment.


3.   Sir Ian Prosser will be paid £150,000 per annum in his role as Deputy
Chairman.  On appointment as Chairman in July 2005, he will be paid £350,000 per
annum.  As with all of Sainsbury's non-executive directors, there is no service
contract.


4.   From 29 March 2004, Sir Ian will be based at Sainsbury's business centre in
Holborn, central London.


5.   Sir George Bull joined the board of J Sainsbury plc in April 1998 and
became Chairman in July 1998.  He was previously Chairman of Grand Metropolitan
and later Diageo plc.




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