M&S chief executive Stuart Machin has said he is uncomfortable with the idea of senior leaders being completely “switched off” while on holiday, as he set out his expectations for hands-on leadership at the retailer.
Speaking at the Business Leader Summit in central London, Machin said he was not a fan of conventional “work-life balance” language, arguing instead that leadership should be rooted in a broader sense of what matters to people personally and professionally.
According to The Times, Machin told delegates that he does not like leaders going away and becoming entirely disconnected from the business. He said that while he was due to spend a weekend away for a friend’s birthday, he would still remain in touch with work.
The comments offer a window into the leadership style Machin has brought to M&S since becoming chief executive in May 2022. He has developed a reputation for being highly involved in the detail of the business and has led an aggressive transformation programme across the retailer.
That turnaround has included major changes to M&S’s senior team. Machin said his entire top leadership group had changed since he took on the role, including the appointments of a new food managing director, a new fashion managing director and a new chief people officer.
He suggested that some of those changes may have happened faster than expected, but said every business must decide what leadership approach works best for its own circumstances.
Machin also used the summit to underline the importance he places on curiosity and initiative in senior hires. Recounting an interview held earlier that day, he said he had decided not to appoint a candidate he otherwise rated highly because they had not taken the time to properly engage with the business on the ground.
He said the individual had failed to visit a store, look around or speak to colleagues, which led him to conclude they were not the right fit for M&S’s culture.
The M&S boss added that new leaders joining the retailer are challenged early in their tenure to present the “unvarnished truth” to the board after three months in the business, giving a frank assessment of what they have seen and where improvements are needed.
Machin’s remarks are likely to spark debate around modern leadership expectations, particularly at a time when many businesses are placing greater emphasis on wellbeing, flexibility and sustainable working practices.
M&S has been one of the retail sector’s strongest turnaround stories in recent years, although its progress was tested last year when a cyberattack disrupted operations, emptied shelves and threatened to derail momentum.
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