Paul Lister
Director of legal services and company secretary
Associated British Foods
Described as ‘disarmingly charming, astute and always gets the commercial and legal picture’, Paul Lister runs a tight team of 40 lawyers spread across 47 countries worldwide, involved in a wide range of activities from retail to manufacturing. Associated British Foods’ brands include Primark, Twinings, Ovaltine, British Sugar, AB Mauri, Tip Top and Mazola.
The diversity of the brands in ABF’s portfolio leads to an equally diverse range of legal issues. In 2011 the BBC was forced to broadcast an apology after an investigation by the BBC Trust found footage used in a Panorama programme that alleged Primark used child labour in India was misleading. Lister fought hard for the resolution and criticised the BBC and the length of time the investigation had taken.
Another major career milestone for Lister was advising ABF on its purchase of Littlewoods from LW Finance for £409m in 2005. Some 120 stores were acquired of which around 40% were converted into Primark.
Law firms used: Addleshaw Goddard, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
2001-present: Director of legal services and company secretary, Associated British Foods
1997-2001: Associate general counsel, Diageo
1994-96: Head of legal services, Guinness