M&S Exec Laura Wade-Grey Takes Maternity Leave

A 50-year-old Marks & Spencer (Other OTC: MAKSF - news) boss is to take four months maternity leave starting in September, it has been announced.

Laura Wade-Grey is currently in charge of the company's multi-channel operation, meaning she has responsibility for the website and all 800 retail stores, and is one of the top women at the firm.

She (Munich: SOQ.MU - news) moved to M&S from Tesco (Xetra: 852647 - news) in 2011 and was initially in charge of the £150m overhaul of the M&S website.

She will be welcoming the child along with her second husband, Simon Roberts.

Her leave was announced on the stock exchange in London as part of rules which demand investors are told if senior directors will be away from their desks for more than three weeks.

According to the company Ms Wade-Grey will only be taking four months off, and will be back in post by January 2016.

During her absence her senior staff will report directly to M&S chief executive, Marc Bolland.

The news is still somewhat of a rare event in business, with women in jobs senior enough for official investor announcements rarely taking maternity leave.

Belinda Earle, now Style Director of Marks & Spencer, was the first woman at the head of a leading public company to take time off to give birth when she took six weeks leave during her time as chief executive of Debenhams (Other OTC: DBHSF - news) in 2001.

Ms Wade-Grey has been an outspoken supporter of the need for more women in business, calling for more women to be given access to boardrooms and for top staff teams to be made more representative of their customer base.

She is the first woman to have been given responsibility for the retail branch of Marks & Spencer.