Yahoo Finance M&S Poaches Spaniard For Key Womenswear Post
Marks & Spencer (Other OTC: MAKSY - news) (M&S), Britain’s biggest clothing retailer, will announce tomorrow the recruitment of an executive from Massimo Dutti, the Spanish-owned fashion brand, as it unveils the most important womenswear collection in its recent history.
I understand that M&S will unveil Queralt Ferrer as the new head of design for its Autograph and Limited ranges, two of its most strategically-important collections.
She will join later this year after working for many years for Inditex, the giant fashion group which owns Zara as well as Massimo Dutti.
Ms Ferrer's appointment will be heralded by Marc Bolland, M&S's chief executive, as another step in the development of its womenswear business after months of criticism from the City about the direction of the business.
M&S is also expected to announce the promotion of Gillian Ridley Whittle to the post of development and buying director of womenswear, another key role in the division.
Both of the new appointees will report to Frances Russell, M&S's director of womenswear, insiders said on Monday night.
Their new roles will be announced as Mr Bolland launches the retailer's autumn and winter collections at an event in central London, with City analysts watching closely for evidence that the new ranges will enable M&S to recapture market share lost to rivals such as Next and Zara.
M&S's food business has been surging ahead, but the autumnwear collection is viewed as a litmus test of the company's ability to drive sales and profit growth and trigger a rally in its share price.
As part of the plans, M&S's general merchandise director, John Dixon, and Belinda Earl, the style director who previously ran Debenhams (Other OTC: DBHSY - news) , will announce that M&S Collection is to become the focal point of its clothing strategy.
Standalone brands, such as Per Una and Autograph, will remain in place, but the M&S Collection name will become prominent in its stores across the UK from July.
Mr Bolland has presided over seven consecutive quarters of declining sales of general merchandise, although this performance has been partly blamed on the general economic climate as well as the poor weather that has hit high street sales so far this year.
M&S declined to comment.
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