Archie Norman
Chairman
Stuart Machin
Chief Executive Officer
Jeremy Townsend
Outgoing Chief Financial Officer
Archie Norman
Chairman
Archie Norman was appointed Chairman in September 2017. Archie has a breadth of retail experience with an extensive track record in business change and value creation. He was instrumental in transforming a number of major British businesses including Kingfisher, Asda and Energis. He has also served as Chairman of ITV, Hobbycraft and Lazard UK and was the Lead Director at the Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy from 2016-2020. He was the first and only FTSE 100 Chairman to be elected a Member of Parliament, where he served for eight years.
His current external roles include: Chairman of Signal AI, Senior Independent Director at Bridgepoint Group plc, Adviser to Coles Group and Non-Executive Vice Chairman of the Global Counsel.
Archie is Chairman of the Nomination Committee and a member of the Remuneration Committee.
Stuart Machin
Chief Executive Officer
Stuart took over as Chief Executive Officer in May 2022. Having joined M&S as Food Managing Director in April 2018 with 30 years experience across food, fashion and home retail sector. Prior to his appointment as CEO, Stuart was joint Chief Operating Officer where in addition to leading M&S Food he also took responsibility for property and store development, store operations, HR and IT. Stuart is also a director of Ocado Retail Limited.
Prior to M&S, Stuart held senior operations and commercial roles across the UK and internationally, starting his career in Sainsbury’s and British Home stores, Tesco and then Asda. Stuart spent 10 years in Australia as part of Wesfarmers as COO and CEO of Coles supermarkets and Target department stores respectively. Returning to the UK he was briefly CEO of home retailer and manufacturer Steinhoff UK.
Stuart has extensive experience of retail transformation and a deep understanding of operations, trading, marketing and online.
Stuart attended the three-month residential HARVARD AMP program in 2013 and the Harvard chief executive officer program in 2023.
Follow Stuart on Twitter here.
Jeremy Townsend
Outgoing Chief Financial Officer
Jeremy joined M&S as CFO on the 22nd November 2022 and brings a wealth of financial leadership experience. Jeremy has held senior financial and non-executive roles across several public companies and most recently, was the Group CFO Rentokil Initial Plc.
Jeremy is currently a non-executive director at NHS England and is the Chair of the Audit & Risk Assurance Committee there. He also spent seven years in senior leadership roles at Sainsbury's and served as a Non-Executive Director of Morrison's PLC.
Alison Dolan
Incoming Chief Financial Officer
Fiona Dawson, CBE
Senior Independent Director
Cheryl Potter
Non-Executive Director
Alison Dolan
Incoming Chief Financial Officer
Alison joined M&S as CFO in January 2025. She brings to the Board extensive commercial and operational finance experience, particularly within digital businesses. Prior to M&S, she held a number of senior financial positions at Sky plc between 2002-2016, including Group Treasurer, Director of Finance and was the Deputy Managing Director at Sky Business, after which she moved to News UK to serve as the Chief Strategy Officer at the forefront of the business’s digital transformation from 2016 until May 2020. Most recently, Alison was CFO at Rightmove plc from 2020 until September 2024.
She is a Non-Executive Director on the Board of Pearson plc. Alison is an Irish national and has a Master’s in Business Studies from University College Dublin.
Fiona Dawson, CBE
Senior Independent Director
Fiona joined the M&S Board on 25 May 2021. She is also a Non-Executive Director of Reckitt where she is Chair elect of the Remuneration Committee, Kerry Group plc where she Chairs the Sustainability Committee, and sits on the Board of LEGO. Fiona was previously Global President Food, Drinks and Multisales at Mars, Inc. sitting on the Global Leadership Team. Fiona rose from the Graduate Trainee scheme on to roles including President of Global Retail and Mars Chocolate UK and European Marketing Vice President where she made an enduring impact in her three decades at the business. Fiona also has a strong track record in sustainability, health and wellbeing, particularly women’s entrepreneurship and human rights. In May 2021, Fiona was awarded a CBE for services to women and the economy. She is President of the Chartered Management Institute and a Trustee with the Social Mobility Foundation. She was previously Chair of the Women’s Business Council.
Fiona is Chair of the Remuneration Committee and a member of the Nomination Committee. Fiona was appointed as Senior Independent Director in September 2024.
Cheryl Potter
Non-Executive Director
Cheryl joined the M&S Board on 1 March 2023. As the former head of the global consumer team at private equity firm, Permira, Cheryl brings a strong shareholder value focus to the Board, as well as a wealth of leadership experience.
During Cheryl’s 20-year career at Permira she built a highly successful track record as an investor and steward of portfolio companies, working with management teams to build better businesses. Cheryl also previously Chaired the British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA).
As well as leading the global consumer practice, she has previously held Non-Executive Director positions on the boards of scale retail and consumer facing brands, including Dr Martens, Allegro, Homebase and Birds Eye. Cheryl currently serves as a Non-Executive Director on the Board of German online clothing retail company, Best Secret, and has done since April 2017.
Cheryl has also been a passionate advocate for women in leadership, as both a founding Patron of The Prince’s Trust Women Supporting Women scheme and as the recent Chair of Level 20, a not-for-profit organisation focused on getting more women into senior investing roles in the Private Equity industry.
Cheryl is a member of the Nomination and ESG Committees.
Ronan Dunne
Non-Executive Director
Evelyn Bourke
Non-Executive Director
Justin King, CBE
Non-Executive Director
Ronan Dunne
Non-Executive Director
Ronan joined the Board on 1 August 2022. He is a very strong commercial leader with enormous international experience in the digital telecoms industry and also has great financial expertise having held Chief Financial Officer roles previously. He has led businesses through technological and people transformations both as CEO of Verizon Consumer Group and CEO of Telefónica UK (O2).
Ronan is currently Non-Executive Chairman of Six Nations Rugby as well as a Trustee of the John King Brain Tumour Foundation.
Ronan is a member of the Nomination and Audit & Risk Committees.
Evelyn Bourke
Non-Executive Director
Evelyn was appointed in February 2021. She retired from her role as CEO of Bupa Group at the end of December 2020. Evelyn led transformative change during her near 5-year tenure as CEO of Bupa, putting the customer at the heart of the organisation, investing in people and technology and strengthening the business. She has extensive experience in financial services having spent three and a half years as Bupa's CFO and in leadership roles at Standard Life and Friends Provident. Evelyn has been a non-executive director of Admiral PLC since 30 April 2021 where she chairs the Remuneration Committee. She joined the board of AJ Bell Plc on 1 July 2021 and is the Senior Independent Director. Evelyn was previously a non-executive director of Bank of Ireland.
Evelyn is Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee and is a member of the Nomination Committee.
Justin King, CBE
Non-Executive Director
Justin joined the M&S Board on 1 January 2019. With over thirty years of experience working in and leading large businesses, Justin brings in-depth knowledge of retail transformation and operations as well as a good historic understanding of the M&S business and values.
Justin is Chair of Dexters Group and Ovo Energy, and Advisory Chair of Itsu Grocery. Having served as an adviser and member of the Bid Advisory Board, Justin was appointed Chair of Allwyn Entertainment Ltd, the operator of the fourth National Lottery Licence, in April 2022. Justin stepped down as the Vice Chairman of Terra Firma in October 2018 but continued in his role as an adviser until May 2021. Justin also sat on the Public Interest Body of PwC until March 2022.
Prior to this, Justin was the CEO of Sainsbury’s between 2004 and 2014, where he led the business through a major turnaround which led to nine years of profit growth. Before joining Sainsbury’s, Justin was Head of Food at Marks & Spencer where he was one of the pioneers of the development of the Simply Food business. He held prior roles at Asda, Haagen-Dazs, PepsiCo and Mars and was a board member of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Justin was also a member of the UK Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Group.
He was awarded a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 2011.
Justin is a member of the Nomination and Audit & Risk Committees.
Mark Lemming
Managing Director of International
Mark Lemming
Managing Director of International
Mark has 30 years’ experience in the retail industry spanning commercial, supply chain, logistics, digital and leading transformational business change. He joined international home improvement company, Kingfisher Group in 2006 and swiftly moved through the ranks at B&Q – one of the Group’s retail brands – to become the retailer’s Trading Director before becoming Category Director for the Group and ExCo member.
In 2018, Mark joined another of Kingfisher’s retail brand’s – Screwfix – as Director and was one of six board directors. Under his leadership, Mark oversaw the rapid reset of the business’s operating model in response to the pandemic.
It was in January 2022 when Mark joined M&S as Supply Chain & Logistics Director, responsible for modernising the retailer’s supply chain.
Mark was promoted to Managing Director of International and member of the Executive Committee in February 2024, beginning his new role at the start of the FY24-25 Financial Year, to drive the next phase of transformation for the International business.
Archie Norman
Chairman
Stuart Machin
Chief Executive Officer
Cheryl Potter
Non-Executive Director
Archie Norman
Chairman
Archie Norman was appointed Chairman in September 2017. Archie has a breadth of retail experience with an extensive track record in business change and value creation. He was instrumental in transforming a number of major British businesses including Kingfisher, Asda and Energis. He has also served as Chairman of ITV, Hobbycraft and Lazard UK and was the Lead Director at the Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy from 2016-2020. He was the first and only FTSE 100 Chairman to be elected a Member of Parliament, where he served for eight years.
His current external roles include: Chairman of Signal AI, Senior Independent Director at Bridgepoint Group plc, Adviser to Coles Group and Non-Executive Vice Chairman of the Global Counsel.
Archie is Chairman of the Nomination Committee and a member of the Remuneration Committee.
Stuart Machin
Chief Executive Officer
Stuart took over as Chief Executive Officer in May 2022. Having joined M&S as Food Managing Director in April 2018 with 30 years experience across food, fashion and home retail sector. Prior to his appointment as CEO, Stuart was joint Chief Operating Officer where in addition to leading M&S Food he also took responsibility for property and store development, store operations, HR and IT. Stuart is also a director of Ocado Retail Limited.
Prior to M&S, Stuart held senior operations and commercial roles across the UK and internationally, starting his career in Sainsbury’s and British Home stores, Tesco and then Asda. Stuart spent 10 years in Australia as part of Wesfarmers as COO and CEO of Coles supermarkets and Target department stores respectively. Returning to the UK he was briefly CEO of home retailer and manufacturer Steinhoff UK.
Stuart has extensive experience of retail transformation and a deep understanding of operations, trading, marketing and online.
Stuart attended the three-month residential HARVARD AMP program in 2013 and the Harvard chief executive officer program in 2023.
Follow Stuart on Twitter here.
Cheryl Potter
Non-Executive Director
Cheryl joined the M&S Board on 1 March 2023. As the former head of the global consumer team at private equity firm, Permira, Cheryl brings a strong shareholder value focus to the Board, as well as a wealth of leadership experience.
During Cheryl’s 20-year career at Permira she built a highly successful track record as an investor and steward of portfolio companies, working with management teams to build better businesses. Cheryl also previously Chaired the British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA).
As well as leading the global consumer practice, she has previously held Non-Executive Director positions on the boards of scale retail and consumer facing brands, including Dr Martens, Allegro, Homebase and Birds Eye. Cheryl currently serves as a Non-Executive Director on the Board of German online clothing retail company, Best Secret, and has done since April 2017.
Cheryl has also been a passionate advocate for women in leadership, as both a founding Patron of The Prince’s Trust Women Supporting Women scheme and as the recent Chair of Level 20, a not-for-profit organisation focused on getting more women into senior investing roles in the Private Equity industry.
Cheryl is a member of the Nomination and ESG Committees.
Ronan Dunne
Non-Executive Director
Evelyn Bourke
Non-Executive Director
Fiona Dawson, CBE
Senior Independent Director
Ronan Dunne
Non-Executive Director
Ronan joined the Board on 1 August 2022. He is a very strong commercial leader with enormous international experience in the digital telecoms industry and also has great financial expertise having held Chief Financial Officer roles previously. He has led businesses through technological and people transformations both as CEO of Verizon Consumer Group and CEO of Telefónica UK (O2).
Ronan is currently Non-Executive Chairman of Six Nations Rugby as well as a Trustee of the John King Brain Tumour Foundation.
Ronan is a member of the Nomination and Audit & Risk Committees.
Evelyn Bourke
Non-Executive Director
Evelyn was appointed in February 2021. She retired from her role as CEO of Bupa Group at the end of December 2020. Evelyn led transformative change during her near 5-year tenure as CEO of Bupa, putting the customer at the heart of the organisation, investing in people and technology and strengthening the business. She has extensive experience in financial services having spent three and a half years as Bupa's CFO and in leadership roles at Standard Life and Friends Provident. Evelyn has been a non-executive director of Admiral PLC since 30 April 2021 where she chairs the Remuneration Committee. She joined the board of AJ Bell Plc on 1 July 2021 and is the Senior Independent Director. Evelyn was previously a non-executive director of Bank of Ireland.
Evelyn is Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee and is a member of the Nomination Committee.
Fiona Dawson, CBE
Senior Independent Director
Fiona joined the M&S Board on 25 May 2021. She is also a Non-Executive Director of Reckitt where she is Chair elect of the Remuneration Committee, Kerry Group plc where she Chairs the Sustainability Committee, and sits on the Board of LEGO. Fiona was previously Global President Food, Drinks and Multisales at Mars, Inc. sitting on the Global Leadership Team. Fiona rose from the Graduate Trainee scheme on to roles including President of Global Retail and Mars Chocolate UK and European Marketing Vice President where she made an enduring impact in her three decades at the business. Fiona also has a strong track record in sustainability, health and wellbeing, particularly women’s entrepreneurship and human rights. In May 2021, Fiona was awarded a CBE for services to women and the economy. She is President of the Chartered Management Institute and a Trustee with the Social Mobility Foundation. She was previously Chair of the Women’s Business Council.
Fiona is Chair of the Remuneration Committee and a member of the Nomination Committee. Fiona was appointed as Senior Independent Director in September 2024.
Justin King, CBE
Non-Executive Director
Sapna Sood
Non-Executive Director
Tamara Ingram, OBE
Non-Executive Director
Justin King, CBE
Non-Executive Director
Justin joined the M&S Board on 1 January 2019. With over thirty years of experience working in and leading large businesses, Justin brings in-depth knowledge of retail transformation and operations as well as a good historic understanding of the M&S business and values.
Justin is Chair of Dexters Group and Ovo Energy, and Advisory Chair of Itsu Grocery. Having served as an adviser and member of the Bid Advisory Board, Justin was appointed Chair of Allwyn Entertainment Ltd, the operator of the fourth National Lottery Licence, in April 2022. Justin stepped down as the Vice Chairman of Terra Firma in October 2018 but continued in his role as an adviser until May 2021. Justin also sat on the Public Interest Body of PwC until March 2022.
Prior to this, Justin was the CEO of Sainsbury’s between 2004 and 2014, where he led the business through a major turnaround which led to nine years of profit growth. Before joining Sainsbury’s, Justin was Head of Food at Marks & Spencer where he was one of the pioneers of the development of the Simply Food business. He held prior roles at Asda, Haagen-Dazs, PepsiCo and Mars and was a board member of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Justin was also a member of the UK Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Group.
He was awarded a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 2011.
Justin is a member of the Nomination and Audit & Risk Committees.
Sapna Sood
Non-Executive Director
Sapna was appointed in June 2020. Sapna joined The Adecco Group in June 2021 and as of May 2023, has been appointed as President, Adecco APAC. She was also a senior executive at Compass Group, as the Group Director for International Clients and Market Development business until 2021 and a Non-Executive Director at Kering from 2016 to 2020. In her previous career she held leading operational roles in the building materials and industrial gas sectors in Europe and Asia-Pacific, latterly as CEO and President of LafargeHolcim in the Philippines. Sapna has in-depth knowledge of running complex supply chains, including in food and clothing, as well as experience of leading large transformation programmes. She has driven a step-change in diversity in all of her teams and is passionate about sustainability; having chaired Kering's Sustainability Committee. Sapna is also an Advisory Board member of Imperial College Business School.
Sapna is a member of the Nomination Committee and ESG Committee.
Tamara Ingram, OBE
Non-Executive Director
Tamara has a longstanding leadership career in advertising, marketing and digital communications, having held leadership roles at WPP since 2002, including being Non-Executive Chair of Wunderman Thompson, CEO of J Walter Thompson and CEO of 3 Kantar companies. Prior to this, Tamara worked at Saatchi and Saatchi where she held the roles of CEO and Chair. She has a deep understanding of the customer and has led renowned marketing campaigns for household brands around the world. Tamara has also delivered cultural and business transformation at pace within her own businesses as well as on behalf of clients. She is currently a Non-Executive Director for Marsh McLennan and Intertek Group. In February 2023, she was appointed as a Non-Executive Director at Reckitt Benckiser Group plc.
Tamara is Chair of the ESG Committee and a member of the Nomination and Remuneration Committees.