Factbox-Who is Stuart Machin, M&Ss new CEO？

div classBodysc17zpet90 cdBBJodivpBy James Daveyp

pLONDON Reuters – On Wednesday, Steve Rowe will step down as chief executive of Marks & Spencer after six years, ending a 39 year career at the British retailer.pdivdivdiv classBodysc17zpet90 cdBBJodiv

pHe will be succeeded in one of the most high profile jobs in British business by M&Ss food boss and joint chief operating officer Stuart Machin, who will become chief executive and take on responsibility for daytoday leadership of the business and executive committee.p

pAn unconventional leadership structure will see Machin backed up by cochief executive Katie Bickerstaffe and finance and strategy chief Eoin Tonge.p

pHere are some facts about Machin:p

pMachin, 51, joined M&S as food managing director in April 2018 and was appointed joint chief operating officer in May last year.p

pHe has revived M&Ss food business through a focus on improving value, without compromising the quality, welfare and sourcing standards the retailer is known for, and by driving innovation.p

pM&S is currently Britains fastest growing food retailer apart from discounters Aldi and Lidl, according to industry data.p

pMachin began his retail career as a teenager, stacking shelves at a Sainsburys Savacentre in Hempstead Valley, south east England.p

pHe rose up the ranks with senior operational and commercial roles at Sainsburys, Tesco and Asda.p

pMore recently, he spent ten years in Australia working at conglomerate Wesfarmers as operations director and managing director of Coles and Target respectively. Before joining M&S, he was CEO of Steinhoff UK.p

pMachin abruptly resigned as managing director of Wesfarmers Target in April 2016 after concerns were raised regarding its accounting for commercial income.p

pHe said he was dismayed to learn of the accounting issues and was not aware of them but resigned as “they happened on my watch”.p

pM&S chairman Archie Norman has been a long term mentor of Machin. They worked together at Asda when Norman was chairman and in Australia at Coles when he was a nonexecutive director.p

pAnother mentor is Jan du Plessis, the former BT chairman and former M&S nonexecutive director. Machin says they talk every month.p

pA resident of south London, outside of work Machins hobbies are music and walking his dog.p

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pp Reporting by James Davey Editing by Mark Potterp

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