Stuart Machin

Stuart Machin (born 1970) is a British business executive and the chief executive (CEO) of Marks & Spencer. He became CEO on 25 May 2022 when Steve Rowe stepped down. Machin is responsible for day-to-day leadership, with Katie Bickerstaffe as co-CEO in charge of online operations and data.[2] Reuters called this an "unconventional leadership structure".[1]

Stuart Machin
Born1970 or 1971 (age 52–53)[1]
NationalityBritish
TitleChief Executive, Marks & Spencer
TermMay 2022-
PredecessorSteve Rowe
Board member ofOcado Retail Limited

Education

Machin joined the retail management scheme at Sainsbury's when he was 18. In 2013, he attended the Harvard Business School advanced management program (AMP).[3]

Career

Machin started his career in retailing as a teenage shelf stacker at a Sainsbury's Savacentre in Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre outside Gillingham, Kent.[1] He worked for Sainsbury's, Tesco and Asda in increasingly senior roles, followed by ten years in Australia working for the Wesfarmers conglomerate as operations director of Coles and managing director of Target Australia.[1][4] He resigned as managing director of Coles in April 2016 because of accounting irregularities that he was unaware of but "happened on [his] watch".[1] He then became CEO of Steinhoff UK, before being headhunted to join Marks & Spencer (M&S) as managing director (MD) of its food division.[1]

M&S

Machin joined M&S in May 2018.[4] According to the Retail Gazette, at the time, M&S food had been underperforming, and Machin managed to get it "firing on all cylinders again".[5]

In February 2019, M&S announced it was paying £750m for a 50% stake in a joint venture called Ocado Retail Limited, replacing Ocado's previous retail partner Waitrose which had recently started its own standalone food delivery proposition. As part of the deal, Machin became a non-executive director of the new joint venture.[6]

In May 2021, Machin was given the additional role of joint chief operating officer (COO), alongside Katie Bickerstaffe. This saw Machin assume responsibility for HR, IT, Property & Store Development, and Central & Store Operations, in addition to his role as food MD.[7]

In March 2022, it was announced that Machin would succeed Steve Rowe as CEO of M&S, while Bickerstaffe would become co-CEO.[8] Machin assumed his new role on 25 May 2022 and joined the board.[4]

Upon becoming CEO, Machin launched "Straight to Stuart", a scheme that allows staff to share views and ideas with him for improving M&S. Two ideas quickly adopted by Machin were Megan Tomkies' suggestion that staff with a stammer or speech impediment could wear a corresponding symbol on their lapel badges,[9] and Bowel cancer survivor Cara Hoofe's suggestion to have Bowel Cancer symptoms listed on toilet roll packaging and in store toilets.[10]

In August 2022, Machin said that London's Oxford Street was in danger of becoming a "dinosaur district destined for extinction", and has been vocal in support of the controversial planned demolition and redevelopment of M&S's flagship store there, close to Marble Arch.[11][12]

Personal life

Machin lives in south London, and his hobbies are music, theatre, politics, food, fashion, and walking his dog, Kostas.[1]

References
  1. Davey, James (20 May 2022). "Factbox: Who is Stuart Machin, M&S's new CEO?". Reuters. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  2. Linsell, Katie (10 March 2022). "Marks & Spencer CEO Stepping Down With Turnaround Incomplete". Bloomberg LP. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  3. "Stuart Machin Chief Operating Officer & Managing Director of Food". M&S. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  4. Hughes, Sarah (10 March 2022). "M&S Food leader Stuart Machin to become CEO". Grocery Gazette. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  5. Wright, Georgia (11 March 2022). "Meet M&S' new bosses: Stuart Machin and Katie Bickerstaffe profiled". Retail Gazette. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  6. "Stuart MACHIN". Companies House. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  7. "M&S boss to quit after six years in top job". The Independent. 11 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  8. Butler, Sarah (10 March 2022). "M&S boss Steve Rowe to step down after close to 40 years with retailer". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  9. "M&S to introduce stammer symbol to badges". BBC News. 17 August 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  10. Reid, Laura (3 August 2022). "Meet the Yorkshire woman who has spurred supermarkets to include bowel cancer symptoms on toilet roll packaging in fight against the disease". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  11. O'Murchu, Cynthia. "How Oxford Street was overrun by sweet shops". Financial Times. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  12. Hawkins, Emily (21 August 2022). "M&S doubles down on plans to demolish Art Deco Oxford St store". City AM. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
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