Robert Swannell
Chairman
Appointed a non-executive director in October 2010 and Chairman in January 2011. Robert is also Chairman of the Nomination and Governance Committee. Robert has spent over 30 years in investment banking with Schroders/Citigroup. He was formerly Vice-Chairman of Citi Europe and Co-Chairman of Citi’s European Investment Bank. Robert has wide Board experience. He was Chairman of HMV Group plc until March 2011 and a non-executive director until 23 June 2011. Robert was Senior Independent Director of both The British Land Company plc and of 3i Group plc until September 2010. Robert’s regulatory and government department experience includes the Regulatory Decisions Committee of the FSA, the Takeover Panel Appeal Board and the Industrial Advisory Board of BIS (Department for Business, Innovation and Skills). He was also a director and trustee of the educational charity Career Academies UK from 2003-2010. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant and Barrister.
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Marc Bolland
Chief Executive
Appointed in May 2010. Marc began his career at Heineken NV in The Netherlands in 1987, occupying several Marketing and Sales management roles. In 1995 he was appointed Managing Director for Heineken in Slovakia, becoming Managing Director for Heineken Export Worldwide in 1999. Marc was then appointed to the Board of Heineken NV in 2001 with responsibility for Western Europe, US, Latin America, Northern Africa and Global Marketing. In 2005 he became Chief Operating Officer. He joined Morrisons in September 2006 as Chief Executive Officer. Marc is currently non-executive Director of Manpower Inc US, and has previously held non-executive Director roles at Hotel de I’Europe, The Netherlands (2003-2006), Quilmes, Argentina (2001-2003).
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Alan Stewart
Chief Finance Officer
Appointed in October 2010. Alan has extensive experience of retail and other highly competitive industries, including travel and banking. Alan spent nine years working for HSBC Investment Bank before joining Thomas Cook in 1996, where he spent seven years, in roles including Chief Executive of Thomas Cook UK and Group Chief Financial Officer of Thomas Cook Holdings. Alan joined WH Smith plc in 2005 as Group Finance Director, where he played a key role in delivering the Group’s improved performance. In 2008 Alan joined AWAS, a leading aircraft leasing company, as Chief Financial Officer until October 2010. He was previously a non-executive director of Games Workshop Group plc.
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John Dixon
Executive Director, General Merchandise
Appointed in September 2009, John began his M&S career in UK store management before moving to Paris for three years where he held a variety of commercial roles in European stores and the Paris Head Office. He joined the UK Head Office as a Food Buyer before progressing to Category Manager for Fresh Produce. In 2002, he was appointed to Executive, heading up the fresh food trading division. In 2004 John was appointed Executive Assistant to the CEO, Stuart Rose. In 2007, he became Director of M&S Direct. In 2008, John became Director for Home in addition to M&S Direct and was also appointed to the Executive Committee. John was appointed to Director of Food in July 2008, and became Executive Director of General Merchandise on 1 October 2012
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Steve Rowe
Executive Director, Food
Appointed in October 2012. Steve joined Marks & Spencer in 1989 where he progressed in a variety of roles within store management. He joined Head Office in 1992 as a Merchandiser for Menswear, working across all areas of the Group. In 1998 he became Category Manager in the Furniture Department, leading the team developing the Home Growth Strategy. Steve was appointed Head of Home categories in 2003 going on to become Director of Home in 2004. Between 2004 - 2008 Steve also assumed responsibility for Beauty and New Business Development. He was appointed Director of Retail and a member of the Executive Committee in March 2008 becoming Director of Retail and E-commerce in 2009, reverting to Director of Retail in 2011, before being appointed as Executive Director, Food in October 2012. Steve is Director on the Strategic Board of The New West End Company.
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Steven Sharp
Executive Director, Marketing
Appointed in November 2005. Steven joined Marks & Spencer in May 2004. He is a non-executive director of Adnams plc. Steven started his career with Bejam in 1978, progressing to the Argyll Group and became Marketing Director of Asda in 1987. He joined the Board of Debenhams in 1989. He later became Marketing Director of the Burton Group, Booker plc and Arcadia Group plc. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, The Marketing Society and The Royal Society of Arts, as well as a visiting Professor of Glasgow Caledonian University.
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Laura Wade-Gery
Executive Director, Multi-channel E-commerce
Laura joined the Board in July 2011. Laura was previously at Tesco plc where she held a variety of senior roles from 1997. Laura brings considerable retail and consumer experience, including significant e-commerce knowledge as Chief Executive Officer of Tesco.com and Tesco Direct. She was appointed a director of Royal Opera House Covent Garden Limited on 02 March 2012 and was a non-executive director of Trinity Mirror plc until 10 May 2012. Prior to joining Tesco Laura held various roles at Gemini Consulting and Kleinwort Benson.
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Vindi Banga
Non-Executive Director
Vindi was appointed in September 2011. He is a partner at private equity investment firm Clayton Dubilier & Rice. Prior to this, Vindi spent 33 years at Unilever plc, where he held a number of senior positions including President of the Global Foods, Home and Personal Care businesses, and was a member of the Unilever Executive Board.
Vindi is a non-executive director of Thomson Reuters. He has sat on the Prime Minister of India’s Council of Trade & Industry since 2004 and sits on the Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad, and the Governing Board of the Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad. He is the recipient of the Padma Bhushan, one of India’s highest civilian honours.
Member of the Nomination and Remuneration Committees
Independent
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Miranda Curtis
Non-Executive Director
Miranda was appointed in February 2012. She is Chairman of Waterstones, a non-executive director of Liberty Global Inc and was a non-executive director of National Express Group plc until 11 May 2012.
Miranda has considerable experience of the global broadband cable industry. In her 20-year career with Liberty she has led the company’s investments in digital distribution and content operations across Continental Europe and Asia-Pacific, most notably in Japan. Miranda also serves on the boards of the Institute for Government, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and the leading African girls’ education charity, Camfed.
Member of the Nomination and Remuneration Committees
Independent
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Andy Halford
Non-Executive Director
Andy Halford was appointed in January 2013. He is Chief Financial Officer of Vodafone Group plc and a member of the Board of Representatives of the Verizon Wireless partnership.
As well as a strong finance background Andy brings to the Board valuable international, consumer and digital experience. He joined Vodafone in 1999 as Financial Director for Vodafone Limited, the UK operating company, and in 2001 became Financial Director for Vodafone's Northern Europe, Middle East and Africa Region. From 2002 to 2005 Andy was Chief Financial Officer of Verizon Wireless in the US and is now a member of the Board of Representatives of the Verizon Wireless partnership. Prior to joining Vodafone he was Group Finance Director at East Midlands Electricity Plc. Andy is a former Chairman of The Hundred Group of Finance Directors in the UK and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
Member of the Nomination and Audit Committees
Independent
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Steven Holliday
Non-Executive Director
Appointed in July 2004. Steven is Chairman of the Remuneration Committee. Steven was appointed Group CEO of National Grid plc in 2006, having at different times been responsible for the UK Electricity and Gas businesses. He was formerly an executive director of British Borneo Oil and Gas. Previously, he spent 19 years with the Exxon Group where he held numerous senior positions. His international experience includes a four-year spell in the US. Steven has also developed business opportunities in countries such as China, Australia, Japan and Brazil.
Member of the Audit and Nomination Committees
Independent
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Martha Lane Fox
Non-Executive Director
Appointed in June 2007, Martha is the UK's Digital Champion. She is founder and Chairman of Lucky Voice and of her own grant giving foundation, Antigone. She co-founded lastminute.com in 1998, taking the company public in March 2000, remaining on the Board until the company was purchased by Sabre Holdings in 2005.
Member of the Audit and Nomination Committees
Independent
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Jan du Plessis
Senior Independent Director
A non-executive director since November 2008, Jan was appointed senior independent director in March 2012. He is Chairman of Rio Tinto plc, having been a non-executive director on its Board since September 2008. He was Chairman of British American Tobacco plc until October 2009. Jan was a non-executive director and Chairman of the Audit Committee of Lloyds Banking Group plc until April 2009. He was previously Group Finance Director of the Swiss luxury goods group Richemont, a position he held until 2004. He was Chairman of RHM plc from 2005 until its takeover by Premier Foods in March 2007. Jan is a South African Chartered Accountant.
Member of the Audit, Remuneration and Nomination Committees
Independent
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Amanda Mellor
Group Secretary and Head of Corporate Governance
Appointed in July 2009. Amanda joined M&S in 2004 as Head of Investor Relations. She is a non-executive director of Kier Group plc. She spent her early career in investment management at James Capel before becoming a Director within its Corporate Finance team. She then worked at Robert Fleming, Investment Banking prior to joining The Burton Group as Director of Corporate Relations and Investor Relations. She remained with Arcadia Group post the Burton Group demerger before joining US based Infonet Service Corporation. Prior to joining M&S she worked for corporate communications consultancy Holloway & Associates. She was accredited as a Legal Mediator in 2002.
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