// M&S has promoted Monique Leeuwenburgh as director as sourcing and hired ex-Debenhams director Dani Williams as director of commercial operations for clothing and home
// Leeuwenburgh takes over from sourcing gurus the Lindsey Brothers, who M&S brought out of retirement to help improve margins
Marks & Spencer clothing and home managing director Richard Price has bolstered his team as sourcing gurus the Lindsey brothers retire.
M&S has promoted Monique Leeuwenburgh to director of sourcing and has hired ex-Dixons and Debenhams director Dani Williams a director of commercial operations for clothing and home.
Leeuwenburgh, currently head of product operations, technology and sustainability for clothing and home will lead sourcing, a role previously held by Neal and Mark Lindsey, the brothers that M&S brought out of retirement in 2014 to help overhaul its sourcing.
The Lindsey, rag trade veterans who helped build rival Next’s sourcing arm, have been credited with improving margins since they signed a deal rumoured to be worth millions per year to work with M&S. They will now return to their retirement.
Alongside her new sourcing responsibilities, Leeuwenburgh will also lead technical and Plan A sustainability, according to Retail Week.
M&S commercial and operations director Stephen Fitzgerald is leaving the business.
READ MORE: M&S launches TikTok-style “live shopping” service to win younger customers
Price wrote in an email to his team: “Optimising our sourcing model by working with fewer but deeper supplier partners is critical to improving our value credentials and speed to market while protecting our margin.
“Getting this right is what powers the product engine and we have made really good progress on this over the past few years under the leadership of Mark and Neal Lindsey. Mark and Neal have decided to take very well-deserved retirement at the end of March and they leave us with strong foundations from which to move forward.
“In a world of increasingly environmentally aware consumers – and where we have a real opportunity to play to our strength for wearable, made-to-last style – bringing sourcing, technical and Plan A together makes complete sense.
“Since arriving in 2019 from Nike, Monique has made a huge difference in clothing and home, driving efficiencies in processes and ways of working, streamlining materials and driving improved margin and quality perceptions.”
Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette‘s free daily email newsletter
