Multi-role Rose reaches Zenith of career

Former Marks & Spencer chief executive and business doyen Lord Stuart Rose has added to his string of directorships after being made chairman of Zenith, the automotive leasing business.

His appointment comes after Leeds-based Zenith was bought by private equity group Bridgepoint for £750 million in January.

Lord Rose is a member of Bridgepoint’s advisory board, and he is also chairman of Ocado, the online grocer, and clothes retailer Fat Face. He said in a statement yesterday: “I am impressed by Zenith’s growth story. The UK fleet services market is a large, growing and resilient market so we will all have even more to go for.”

Zenith was launched in 1989 and focuses on leasing company cars and commercial vehicles. Group chief executive Tim Buchan said he was “delighted” with the new chairman’s appointment.

He said Rose has had “a fantastic business career and has unparalleled experience in understanding the consumer, all of which will be important to the future development of our company”.

The former M&S boss, who also had a high-profile role in spearheading ex-prime minister David Cameron’s campaign to remain in the European Union, was knighted in 2008 after holding a string of prominent retail jobs, including chief executive of Argos.

He almost came to blows with Sir Philip Green over the retail tycoon’s takeover bid for M&S in 2004. Rose is also a non-executive director of South Africa-based Woolworths Holdings . 0 Lord Rose: ‘Even more to go for’ with Zenith chair