Marks & Spencer installs new leadership team for clothing and home division
Marks & Spencer has appointed the leadership team that will be responsible for overhauling its clothing and home business under the leadership of the division’s managing director, Jill McDonald.
In a move to attract more families to M&S, McDonald has merged the retailer’s womenswear and childrenswear teams and appointed Jill Stanton to the new role of womenswear and kidswear director.
Due to start in July, Stanton was previously executive vice president at Old Navy where she was a key member of the turnaround team and acted as interim president. She has also worked with Next, Dewhirst and Nike.
In addition, M&S has appointed menswear specialist Wes Taylor as menswear director. Taylor has with over 30 years’ experience in fashion retailing after moving through the ranks at Arcadia to lead the Burton business as managing director. He will be joining M&S in May.
McDonald said: “M&S Clothing is transforming. We’re crystal clear on the challenge. We must become more relevant to more people offering the right products at the right prices to appeal to our core customers and attract new ones.
“Jill and Wes are highly impressive retailers with strong track records of success at other high-profile brands and will bring this invaluable experience to M&S. We now have the right leadership team in place to get on and deliver change.”
Working alongside Stanton and Taylor in the clothing and home business units will be Laura Charles and Neil Harrison. Charles has been a key member of the M&S lingerie team since 2014 and has now been promoted to the new position of lingerie director. Meanwhile, Harrison has worked with M&S for 20 years and is currently driving the strategy for growth as home director. In the revamped team, he will take on additional responsibility for the beauty category.
M&S has also announced that its menswear and kidswear director, Michael Kerr, has decided to leave the business after 35 years to pursue other career opportunities. In addition, its womenswear and lingerie design director, Queralt Ferrer, is leaving to move to Amsterdam.
In a further change, Belinda Earl, who has recently been covering womenswear, will be stepping away from her commercial role with the retailer but will continue to work in an advisory position and sit on the board of the M&S Archive. She will hand over her womenswear responsibilities to Stanton over the summer.
McDonald added: “Belinda has made a huge contribution to M&S. She’s a great friend to the brand and we are delighted to retain her support and input.”
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