Mumbai: British retailer Marks & Spencer said it has reset its International business and strengthened its global leadership team with three new senior appointments.
Manish Kapoor will join from Pepe Jeans as the new managing director for M&S India. Victoria Jones, formerly from Clarks, will step into the role as commercial director, international, and Richard Davies has been promoted to international partnerships director. Kapoor will join the M&S International leadership team in April. Jones and Davies are already in post.
All three will report to Mark Lemming – managing director, International, who was appointed last year as M&S announced a reset of priorities for its International business under fresh leadership.
“The reset of our International business is focussed on taking the right time and actions to build strong foundations for sustainable growth. Building an experienced global leadership team is an essential element of this plan and Manish, Victoria and Richard will play important roles, bringing fresh perspectives on our International reset and future growth strategy,” Lemming said.
Kapoor was most recently managing director and CEO, India, at Pepe Jeans and prior to that was the chief operating officer at French Connection in India from 2012-2014, where he reset their strategy, turning it into a profitable menswear brand. His tenure at Benetton, starting in 2005, saw him grow the India business and expand the brand’s footprint in South and Southeast Asia. He also launched Benetton’s e-commerce vertical in India and played a pivotal role in scaling Sisley’s business in India. At M&S, Kapoor will have accountability for driving the strategic plans forward in India.
M&S, a mainstay of the UK high street, has been trying to appeal to younger shoppers globally and announced an overhaul of its stores to expand its brick and mortar presence to build a more resilient business and focus on quality merchandise. Also, companies such as Levi’s, Uniqlo and Celio are increasingly getting popular for functional basics like T-shirts and jeans, unlike fast-fashion rivals that are associated with designs that move quickly from the catwalk to the showroom.
India is already its largest international market outside home in terms of store network with more than 100 stores opened in the last 15 years. M&S Reliance grew its sales by 5% during FY24 to Rs 1742 crore.
