UK retailer Marks & Spencer has appointed Rachel Higham as its new chief digital and technology officer, effective later this year.
Currently, Higham serves as the chief information officer at WPP, the company noted.
Elsewhere, the retail group has promoted Mark Lemming to the position of managing director of M&S International.
Lemming is an M&S executive and serves as clothing, home, supply chain and logistics director.
He will assume the new role at the beginning of the company’s new financial year, in April.
Next Phase Of Transformation
Commenting on the appointments, M&S CEO Stuart Machin said, “These two new leadership appointments reflect the importance of digital and technology and capital-light international growth to the next phase of our transformation.
“As I set out at our recent capital markets day, we have more to do in both of these areas, and so much opportunity. Rachel and Mark are a fantastic addition to the executive team, and I am confident that, with their leadership, we will accelerate the pace of change in the business as we reshape M&S for growth.”
Market Share
In the Christmas quarter, Lidl and Marks & Spencer emerged as Britain’s fastest-growing supermarkets, industry data from NIQ showed.
NIQ noted that M&S’s food sales, on a value basis, rose by 12.1% in the 12 weeks to 30 December, year on year, with its share of the UK grocery market rising by 0.1 percentage points, to 3.8%.
Earlier this week, the retailer announced plans to invest in a new round of price cuts involving around 65 products, with an average reduction of 6%.
The initiative will see price reductions in Remarksable Value favourite baked beans, Fairtrade rich roast instant coffee, and Easy Cook long-grain rice, among others.
