Daily Mail

House of Ashley

Fiance of tycoon’s daughter tipped for the top job

- by Hannah Uttley

The fiance of Mike Ashley’s daughter has been touted as the next chief executive of House of fraser.

Michael Murray, 28, is understood to be in line for the top job at the troubled department store chain.

former nightclub owner Murray is head of elevation at Sports Direct, where he works on an advisory basis for 54-year- old Ashley, the company’s founder and chief executive.

He is also engaged to Ashley’s daughter Anna who he met while on holiday in Majorca in 2011. the couple, pictured, live in a £10.7m mansion in Belgravia.

Sources said Ashley was likely to pick someone from his inner circle to head up House of fraser after he sacked all the top managers and directors this week.

He has pledged to turn House of fraser into ‘the Harrods of the High Street’.

one industry source said: ‘Ashley will never give the job to anyone outside of his tight circle and i don’t think anyone outside of his circle would take it.’ Chief executive Alex williamson, finance director Colin elliot and chief product and trading officer David walker-Smith all left House of fraser this week.

they are said to be considerin­g legal action after their dismissal, for which they are understood to have received no pay out.

House of fraser is in negotiatio­ns with landlords and suppliers after Sports Direct bought it out of administra­tion for £90m.

the terms of the deal means Ashley is not required to honour any of the department store’s debts, leaving many suppliers out of pocket.

Another source said Murray was the most likely candidate as he had been ‘front and centre of the negotiatio­ns with suppliers’.

As head of elevation, Murray is tasked with taking Sports Direct more upmarket. the company already owns flannels, a highend department store chain which it bought in 2012, and a near 30pc stake in Debenhams. Sports Direct is planning to hand Murray £5m for his dealmaking at the retailer, which has seen him win contracts with major sports brands such as nike and Adidas and oversee property deals to move stores to better locations as it tries to become more upmarket.

Ashley last month insisted his purchase of House of fraser would be ‘a game changer’ as he accused investors of stabbing him in the back in an astonishin­g announceme­nt to the stock exchange.

the newcastle United owner lashed out at shareholde­rs for failing to support him and ‘ repeatedly hounding’ Keith Hellawell, the 76- year- old former west Yorkshire Police chief constable who quit last month to avoid an investor revolt at the AgM.

A spokesman for House of fraser and Sports Direct said: ‘Michael Murray’s role is as head of elevation for the Sports Direct group, which will include vital input into the House of fraser strategy. However, any suggestion linking him to the chief executive role is pure speculatio­n and has not been discussed or considered.’

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