M&S top team hit by fresh turmoil

THE senior team at embattled Marks & Spencer was plunged into fresh upheaval after a key director announced she would be on maternity leave this autumn and over the crucial Christmas trading period, writes Rupert Steiner.

Laura Wade-Gery, 50, has been tipped as heir apparent to chief executive Marc Bolland and last year added the entire 800 UK store network to her existing responsibilities as online guru.

Wade-Gery’s four month-long break from M&S (down 1p at 533p) – starting on September 1 – was deemed so significant that the company informed the stock market news service in a statement.

She will return to the business in early January.

Wade-Gery’s lieutenants Sacha Berendji, director of retail, and David Walmsley, director of M&S. com, will report directly to Bolland.

New finance director Helen Weir will be responsible for the distribution of items bought on the website during this period.

Weir, along with new clothing boss Steve Rowe, are also seen as possible contenders for Bolland’s job when he eventually moves on.

M&S has seen a string of recent departures with former clothing director Steve Dixon leaving suddenly, and last week Frances Russell, head of womenswear, also parted company with the firm.

Wade-Gery, an Oxford history graduate, joined M&S from Tesco where she ran the online business.