After a tenure of two years, Katie Bickerstaffe, co-chief executive officer at the well-known British retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S), is set to step down from her role in July, marking the end of her leadership journey within the company. Bickerstaffe's decision to exit M&S stems from her desire to pursue a portfolio career, with plans to join the board of B&Q owner Kingfisher as a non-executive director, as reported by Sky News.
With Bickerstaffe's departure, the reins of M&S will now solely be in the hands of CEO Stuart Machin, who has been at the forefront of steering the company's transformation efforts, particularly in its struggling home business segment.
Bickerstaffe's journey at M&S began in 2018 when she joined as a non-executive director. Over the years, she assumed increasingly pivotal roles, serving as chief transformation and strategy director in 2020, joint chief operating officer in 2021, and eventually taking on the role of co-CEO in 2022.
During her tenure, Bickerstaffe played a crucial role in steering M&S's digital, data, and international initiatives, contributing significantly to the company's strategic direction.
Source: news.sky.com