High street retailer Marks and Spencer (M&S) has today confirmed that it is to appoint a new Supply Chain Director as it seeks to strengthen its management team.
Retail Gazette understands that ex- GM Motors executive Dirk Lembregts, who operated as Executive Director, Europe Supply Chain at the automotive company, will replace Darrell Stein, who currently heads up logistics and IT.
Stein will remain on the management team and operate solely across IT in order to ensure that the key pillars of the retailer‘s improvement strategy operate more independently to drive growth.
Joining M&S in January 2013, Lembregts follows in the footsteps of a number of senior retail figures who have been drafted in by the company to improve its offering following disappointing results.
Earlier this month, the high street stalwart reported a pre-tax profit decline of 10 per cent in the 26 weeks to September 29th 2012 and also announced two new appointments to its clothing team, which followed the overhaul of its General Merchandising team further to Kate Bostock‘s shock departure in July.
Commenting on the appointment, a spokesperson for M&S said: “As we continue to develop our business plans to become a leading international multichannel retailer, the development of our supply chain and our drive for faster, more innovative technology becomes increasingly important and warrants specific focus in each area.
“Darrell has done a tremendous job in driving the huge transformation in our supply chain over the past four years and will now focus on the major role IT will play in delivering our strategic goals.
“These include moving to a new web platform, IT-driven distribution centres and new systems in our GM business.”
