Marks & Spencer

Andrew, aged 40, joined Marks & Spencer aged 18, straight after his A-Levels as a Young Management Trainee and spent his first three years in stores – his retail ‘apprenticeship’. He then moved into merchandising and held a number of positions in Home and Womenswear divisions. Andrew joined the Menswear group in May 2000 and subsequently was appointed Menswear Business Unit Director in November 2003 responsible for Mens and Boyswear. In January 2007, Andrew became Director of GM Planning and Supply and was appointed to the Executive Committee.

Appointed to the Board in March 2008. Age 51. Kate joined Marks & Spencer in October 2004 as Director of Womenswear. She then took on responsibility for Girlswear and later took on the running of the Lingerie department. Previously Kate was Product Director for Childrenswear at Next before joining Asda in 2001 as Product Director for the George brand covering all areas of clothing and footwear. She was responsible for the launch of the stand-alone George concept and the launch of the George brand globally.

Appointed in November 2005. Age 57. Steven joined Marks & Spencer in May 2004. He started his career with Bejam in 1978, progressing to the Argyll Group and became Marketing Director of Asda in 1987. He joined the Board of Debenhams in 1989. He later became Marketing Director of the Burton Group, Booker plc and Arcadia Group plc. Steven is a non-executive director of Adnams plc. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, The Marketing Society and The Royal Society of Arts, as well as a visiting Professor of Glasgow Caledonian University. Steven is a special advisor to the Tate Members’ Council.

Carl joined M&S as Director of International in May 2007. In July 2008 he was also appointed Director of Home and M&S Direct. Age 41. Carl was formerly Chief Executive of De Vere Group plc until orchestrating its sale in Autumn 2006. Previously he spent eight years at Whitbread plc, for the final three of which he was Managing Director of Travel Inn. Prior to this he worked for Nomura International plc in equity derivatives, and for Forte Hotels, having started his career on the graduate training scheme with Pedigree Pet Foods.

Appointed in June 2005. Age 45. Ian was appointed Group Finance Director in June 2005, becoming Group Finance and Operations Director in March 2008. Ian was formerly Finance Director of The Rank Group plc. Prior to this he was Group Financial Controller of Hilton Group plc. He joined Hilton from Le Meridien, a division of Forte plc, where he had been Finance Director. His early career was spent with Arthur Andersen, where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1986 and was promoted to a Partner of the firm in 1994. Ian was a non-executive director of Misys plc until September 2005.

John, 40, began his M&S career in UK store management before moving to Paris for three years where he held a variety of commercial roles in European stores and the Paris Head Office. He joined the UK Head Office as a Food Buyer before progressing to Category Manager for Fresh Produce. In 2002, he was appointed to Executive, heading up the fresh food trading division. In 2004 John was appointed Executive Assistant to the CEO, Stuart Rose. In 2007, he became Director of M&S Direct. In 2008, John became Director for Home in addition to M&S Direct and was also appointed to the Executive Committee. John was appointed to Director of Food in July 2008.

Steve, 41, joined Marks & Spencer in 1989 and held a variety of positions in store management, having previously worked at Topshop as a store manager. He joined Head Office in 1992 as a Merchandiser for Menswear, working in all areas of the Group. In 1998 he was promoted to Category Manager in the Furniture Department. During 2001 Steve led the team developing the Home Growth Strategy, working with McKinsey Consultants, and became Head of Home categories in 2003. He was promoted to the Director of Home a year later, in 2004. Between 2004 - 2008 Steve also assumed responsibility for Beauty and New Business Development. He was appointed Director of Retail in March 2008 and became a member of the Executive Committee.

Appointed Director of Human Resources in March 2008. Age 47. Tanith was formerly Group Human Resources Director at WH Smith since 2003, where she also held responsibility for Public Relations, Communications and Post Office Operations. Prior to this, she was Senior Vice President Human Resources for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), at InterContinental Hotels Group. Tanith has also fulfilled two HR Director roles for divisions of Diageo Plc and before this was International Human Resources Manager for Prudential Corporation Plc. Tanith is a member of the Executive Committee at Marks & Spencer.

Appointed in August 1997. Age 50. Graham is Secretary of the Audit, Remuneration and Nomination Committees. In 1985, he joined Marks & Spencer’s Legal Department. He was appointed Head of Legal in 1990, Company Secretary and Chief Legal Adviser in 1997 and Head of the Corporate Governance Group in June 2002.

Appointed in March 2006. Age 61. David was appointed Deputy Chairman and Chairman of the Nomination Committee on 1 June 2008. He was appointed senior independent director in September 2006. He is senior independent director of easyJet plc, and is also a non-executive director of Strategic Hotels & Resorts and Jumeriah Group, Dubai. He was a senior independent director of The British Land Company plc until 11 July 2008 and a non-executive director of RAB Capital plc until 18 April 2008. David spent his early career employed by Grand Metropolitan, Ladbrokes and Stakis before rejoining Hilton/Ladbrokes in 1999 as Chief Executive, becoming Chief Executive of Hilton Group plc from 2000 to 2006. David was knighted in June 2006.