M&S Taps Primark Veteran Jon Rolls to Lead Fashion, Home & Beauty Overhaul

Marks & Spencer (M&S) has announced a significant leadership appointment within its Fashion, Home & Beauty (FHB) division, naming Jon Rolls as its new Commercial and Operations Director. This strategic hire is a key component of a "comprehensive restructuring" currently underway across the retail giant's entire end-to-end operation. The move underscores M&S's commitment to enhancing its operational efficiency and commercial opportunities within a competitive retail landscape.

Rolls brings extensive experience and a proven track record from his previous role at Primark, where he served as Group Director of Planning and Space. His "deep expertise" in areas such as trading, operational efficiency, and large-scale business transformations is expected to be instrumental in his new position. His responsibilities will encompass identifying crucial commercial opportunities and driving operational improvements across M&S's complex supply chain, reflecting the broad scope of his influence within the FHB division.

Notably, this appointment marks a return to M&S for Rolls, who began his career with the company as part of its esteemed graduate scheme. After gaining foundational experience, he transitioned to New Look in 2006, where he held the position of Head of Merchandising. In 2011, he joined Primark, progressively taking on a series of senior merchandising roles before his elevation to the executive team in 2019 as Group Director of Planning and Space, showcasing a steady ascent and deep understanding of retail operations.

M&S has emphasized that Rolls' appointment signifies a pivotal moment in the ongoing transformation of its Fashion, Home & Beauty division. He will report directly to John Lyttle, the managing director of the department, who also shares a past connection with Primark. This leadership pairing is set to drive significant change, leveraging their combined experience to navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead for the division.

In his new capacity, Jon Rolls will be tasked with a wide range of responsibilities. These include leading cross-business unit commercial planning, overseeing the Outlets division, and spearheading the modernization of critical systems across merchandising, forecasting, and range planning. A key objective will be to foster enhanced collaboration among internal teams and external supply partners, streamlining processes and improving overall agility within the FHB ecosystem.

The "comprehensive restructuring" of the Fashion, Home & Beauty division is currently in its early stages, with several core priorities identified to support future growth and resilience. These initiatives include the rollout of a new merchandise and range management system to optimize product assortment, increased automation across the logistics network to efficiently support the growing online business, and a concerted effort to strengthen the resilience and flexibility of the supply base to better adapt to market demands and disruptions.

John Lyttle, Managing Director of M&S's Fashion, Home & Beauty, expressed his confidence in the new hire, stating, "His experience in driving operational change and commercial growth in fast-paced retail environments will be invaluable as we reshape our supply chain for growth and build a more agile, customer-focused business." This sentiment underscores the strategic importance of Rolls' expertise in M&S's ambition to create a more dynamic and responsive retail operation, capable of meeting evolving customer expectations.