On Wednesday, Britain's Marks & Spencer said that its marketing boss was leaving the retailer – the latest casualty of sweeping management changes under chief executive Steve Rowe and chairman Archie Norman.
M&S said that Patrick Bousquet-Chavanne, executive director of customer, marketing and M&S.com – appointed by Rowe's predecessor Marc Bolland six years ago – has stepped down from the board and will leave the company at the end of next month.
Rowe is reorganising M&S into businesses with clearer lines of accountability. As a result, the corporate marketing teams will be devolved into the clothing & home and food businesses.
New Strategy
M&S reset its strategy in November – two months after retail veteran Norman joined as chairman.
The firm said that it would speed up store closures, accelerate the relocation and downsizing of other stores, and reposition its food offering.
Bousquet-Chavanne was the only executive director on M&S's board, apart from Rowe, after the departure of finance chief Helen Weir at the end of March. Weir is being replaced by Dixons Carphone's finance chief, Humphrey Singer, in July.
Other changes that Rowe has made include new heads for the clothing & home and food divisions.
News by Reuters, edited by ESM. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
