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M&S restructures executive Home & Clothing team

By Vivian Hendriksz

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Management

London - Change is certainly afoot at Marks & Spencer, as the UK department store restructures its clothing and home team as part of its wider transformation plan.

M&S's Clothing and Home Managing Director Jill McDonald has appointed Wes Taylor, former managing director of Burton, as its new menswear director. He is set to join the team in May 2018 and brings with him more than 30 years of experience in fashion retailing.

Marks & Spencer shakes up its Clothing and Home team

In addition, McDonald has also merged Marks & Spencer's womenswear and childrenswear team and appointed Jill Stanton to the newly created role of womenswear and kidswear director. Stanton, who is set to take on her new role in July, has been credited for delivering radical change programmes at a number of companies, including Next, Nike, and Dewhirst.

Laura Charles and Neil Harrison are set to work alongside of Stanton and Taylor within M&S's Clothing and Home division. Charles, who has been a key member of the team driving M&S's Lingerie section since 2014, was promoted to the new position of lingerie director, while Harrison is set to take on responsibility for M&S's Beauty division in addition to his role as home director, amid key structural changes at Marks & Spencer.

"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," said Jill McDonald, Clothing & Home MD, on the changes. "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."

Michael Kerr, currently M&S's menswear and kidswear director, is set to leave the company after 35 years to pursue other career opportunities. Queralt Ferrer, womenswear and lingerie design director, is leaving M&S and moving to Amsterdam to be with her family. Following their departures, responsibility for design will be integrated into the business units.

Belinda Earl, who has most recently been covering womenswear, will be stepping away from her commercial role with the retailer but will continue to work in an advisory role and sit on the board of the M&S Archive. She will hand over her womenswear responsibilities to Stanton over the summer. "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," added McDonald.

Photo: Jill McDonald, courtesy of Marks & Spencer

home and clothing
jill mcdonald
Marks and Spencer