Tim Steiner: The Ocado Founder Leading Grocery Technology

Last Updated on July 31, 2026 by Business Blog Media Editorial Team

Introduction

Tim Steiner is a British entrepreneur and business leader best known as the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ocado Group.

He started Ocado in 2000 with two former Goldman Sachs colleagues. The company first became known as an online grocery business, but it later developed advanced warehouse robots, software and automation systems for retailers.

As of July 2026, Tim Steiner remains the CEO of Ocado Group. The company has also announced a leadership transition. He is expected to remain CEO until around the beginning of Ocado’s 2028 financial year before moving into a founder support role.

Tim Steiner Quick Facts

Fact	Information
Full name	Timothy Steiner
Professional name	Tim Steiner
Born	December 1969
Nationality	British
Profession	Entrepreneur and business executive
Education	Economics, Finance and Accountancy
University	University of Manchester
Known for	Co-founding Ocado
Current role	CEO of Ocado Group
Additional role	Chairman of Ocado Retail
Honour	Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Company founded	Ocado
Year founded	2000

Who Is Tim Steiner?

Tim Steiner is one of the founders of Ocado, a British company that works in online grocery shopping, warehouse automation, robotics and retail software.

He founded the company with Jason Gissing and Jonathan Faiman. All three men had previously worked at Goldman Sachs.

Steiner became Ocado’s CEO when the company was established in 2000. He has remained closely involved in its strategy, technology and international development for more than 25 years.

He is not only the leader of an online supermarket business. He is also known for helping Ocado build technology that other retailers can use to process and deliver grocery orders.

Tim Steiner’s Education

Tim Steiner studied at the University of Manchester.

He graduated in 1992 with an honours degree in Economics, Finance and Accountancy.

After completing his education, he joined Goldman Sachs. He spent eight years working in the company’s fixed-income division.

His work took him to major financial centres, including:

• London
• Hong Kong
• New York

This experience in banking and international financial markets came before he entered the online retail industry.

How Did Tim Steiner Start Ocado?

Tim Steiner started Ocado in 2000 with Jason Gissing and Jonathan Faiman.

At that time, buying fresh groceries online was still a new idea. Selling food on the internet was more difficult than selling books, clothing or electronics.

A grocery order can contain many different products. Some items must remain cold, while others can be damaged easily. Customers also expect their orders to arrive within a selected delivery period.

Ocado needed systems that could:

• Store thousands of products
• Receive customer orders online
• Select the correct items
• Keep chilled food at safe temperatures
• Pack orders accurately
• Plan delivery routes
• Deliver orders on time

Ocado developed much of its own technology instead of depending completely on existing systems.

This decision helped transform the company from an online supermarket into a larger technology and automation business.

How Ocado Became a Technology Company

Ocado is widely known as an online grocery service in the United Kingdom. However, Ocado Group also supplies technology to other retailers.

The company’s systems include warehouse robots, ordering software, delivery planning tools, artificial intelligence and automated product-handling technology.

These services are offered through the Ocado Smart Platform.

The platform is designed to help retailers manage the full online shopping process. It can support a customer’s order from the moment it is placed until the groceries reach the customer’s home.

Ocado has signed agreements with retailers in different countries. Its technology has been used in large automated warehouses, smaller fulfilment centres and store-based operations.

Readers interested in other British technology founders can also read about Will Shu and the growth of Deliveroo.

Major Career Milestones

Joining Goldman Sachs

Steiner began his professional career at Goldman Sachs after graduating from university.

He worked in the company’s fixed-income division for approximately eight years.

Founding Ocado in 2000

He left investment banking and founded Ocado with Jason Gissing and Jonathan Faiman.

Building an Online Grocery Service

Ocado developed websites, warehouses, delivery networks and digital systems for selling groceries online.

Expanding Into Retail Technology

The company later began offering its software and fulfilment systems to other retailers.

Developing Robotics and Automation

Ocado invested heavily in robots, artificial intelligence and automated warehouse technology.

International Expansion

The company signed technology agreements with retailers in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia.

Leading Ocado for More Than 25 Years

Steiner remained Ocado’s CEO from its foundation in 2000 through July 2026.

This makes him one of the longest-serving founders still leading a major British listed technology company.

What Is Tim Steiner’s Current Role?

As of July 2026, Tim Steiner remains the Chief Executive Officer and an executive director of Ocado Group.

He helps set the company’s business strategy and guides its senior leadership team.

He is also chairman of Ocado Retail, the online grocery company jointly owned by Ocado Group and Marks & Spencer.

His current role and career history are listed on the official Ocado Group leadership page.

Is Tim Steiner Leaving Ocado?

Tim Steiner has not yet left Ocado.

In July 2026, Ocado confirmed that he would remain CEO until around the beginning of the company’s 2028 financial year.

The company plans to appoint a new chief executive as part of a controlled leadership transition.

After leaving the CEO position, Steiner is expected to continue supporting Ocado in a founder role through 2029.

This means he is preparing to leave daily leadership, but he is not immediately ending his connection with the company.

Tim Steiner’s Ocado Shareholding

Reuters reported in July 2026 that Tim Steiner owned approximately 2.35% of Ocado Group, based on financial market data.

The value of his shares can rise or fall because Ocado is a publicly traded company.

This shareholding should not be treated as his complete net worth. A person may have other investments, assets, debts and financial interests that are not fully shown in public records.

For the latest verified reporting about his position and ownership, readers can review Reuters’ report on Ocado’s leadership transition.

Tim Steiner’s Net Worth

Tim Steiner’s complete net worth has not been confirmed through reliable public financial records.

Some websites publish estimates, but these figures often depend on changing share prices and guesses about private assets.

They may also fail to include taxes, debts and other financial information.

It is more accurate to report his publicly documented Ocado shareholding instead of presenting an unsupported total.

Challenges Faced by Ocado

Ocado has achieved major technology milestones, but the company has also faced serious business challenges.

Building automated warehouses requires large amounts of money.

Retail partners also need enough online orders to make large fulfilment centres financially successful.

Some international retail partners have reduced parts of their Ocado operations after customer demand was lower than expected.

Investors have also questioned how quickly Ocado can sign new partners, reduce costs and produce steady positive cash flow.

These challenges show that advanced technology must also produce dependable commercial results.

Tim Steiner’s Leadership Lessons

Solve a Difficult Problem

Online grocery shopping was difficult because food orders contain many different products with different storage and delivery needs.

Ocado treated this challenge as a technology problem that could be solved.

Build Technology for Long-Term Use

Ocado did not develop systems only for its own grocery website.

It created technology that could later be offered to other retailers.

Adapt the Business Model

Ocado changed from being mainly an online supermarket into a wider robotics, software and automation company.

Accept That Innovation Carries Risk

New technology can require years of investment before it produces regular profits.

Plan Leadership Changes Carefully

Steiner’s planned move from CEO to a founder role shows how a company can keep a founder’s knowledge while preparing another leader to manage daily operations.

Another British founder who built several major digital businesses is Alex Chesterman.

Why Is Tim Steiner Important?

Tim Steiner is important because he helped challenge the traditional supermarket model.

Instead of viewing online grocery delivery as only a website and a fleet of vans, Ocado treated it as a complete technology system.

The company developed tools for storing products, receiving orders, selecting items, managing warehouses and planning deliveries.

Ocado’s business performance has sometimes attracted criticism, but its technology has helped make warehouse robotics and automated grocery fulfilment important subjects in the global retail industry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Tim Steiner?

Tim Steiner is a British entrepreneur and the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ocado Group.

What is Tim Steiner known for?

He is known for helping build Ocado from an online grocery startup into a company that provides robotics, software and automated retail systems.

Is Tim Steiner still the CEO of Ocado?

Yes. As of July 2026, Tim Steiner remains the CEO of Ocado Group.

When will Tim Steiner leave the CEO position?

Ocado expects him to remain CEO until around the beginning of its 2028 financial year.

How old is Tim Steiner?

Tim Steiner was born in December 1969. He is 56 years old as of July 2026.

Where did Tim Steiner study?

He studied Economics, Finance and Accountancy at the University of Manchester.

Did Tim Steiner work for Goldman Sachs?

Yes. He spent approximately eight years working in Goldman Sachs’ fixed-income division.

When did Tim Steiner start Ocado?

He co-founded Ocado in 2000 with Jason Gissing and Jonathan Faiman.

Does Tim Steiner own Ocado?

Ocado Group is owned by its shareholders. Reuters reported that Steiner held approximately 2.35% of the company in July 2026.

Conclusion

Tim Steiner is a British entrepreneur who helped turn a difficult online grocery idea into a major retail technology business.

His career began in investment banking, but he left Goldman Sachs to co-found Ocado in 2000.

Under his leadership, the company developed online grocery services, automated warehouses, retail software and robotic systems.

As of July 2026, Steiner remains Ocado Group’s CEO. A leadership transition is underway, but he is expected to continue leading the company until around the beginning of its 2028 financial year.