Marks and Spencer 2013 Annual Report Download - page 17

Marks and Spencer Group plc Annual report and financial statements 2013 15
Overview Strategic review Financial review Governance Financial statements and other information
Strategic review
Andy Adcock
Trading Director, Food
Our priority is to give
our customers the
products they want,
when they want them.
During the year we
worked hard to
increase availability in
our Food Halls and
delivered a greater
choice of product
through better ranging
and display. These
improvements are
supported by our
informed shop-floor
employees – who share
their knowledge of
M&S Food’s quality and
innovation with our
customers.
.
Sacha Berendji
Retail Director
In a challenging trading
environment, great
customer service
matters more than ever.
We’ve worked hard to
equip our employees
with the knowledge
and skills they need to
help customers, bring
our new store format to
life and provide a great
shopping experience.
We’ve also improved
the way we obtain
customer feedback,
enabling us to
understand more of
what matters to them
and respond faster.
Patrick Bousquet-
Chavanne
Corporate Director of
Strategy Implementation
and Business
Development
Innovation is one of the
values upon which M&S
was founded. We are
constantly looking at
new and exciting ways
to enhance our offer
across our Fashion,
Home and Food
ranges. Our clear focus
on creating original
products, unique
experiences and new
global retail concepts
will ensure we maintain
our reputation for
innovation – maximising
the impact and value of
the M&S brand.
Clem Constantine
Director of Property
We aim to ensure that
our stores are in the
most convenient
locations possible for
our customers. Our
approach is to create
and develop true
community stores with
sustainability
incorporated as
standard – as
exemplified by our new
Cheshire Oaks flagship
store. Our successful
Simply Food format is
increasingly popular
and is an important
part of our estate
development
programme.
Tanith Dodge
Director of Human
Resources
We are focused on
ensuring we have the
right people with the
appropriate skills to
help us achieve our
ambitions. This
includes developing
talent and building the
right capabilities across
the business to steer
M&S in the future. We
use a variety of
communication
channels to maintain
dialogue and ensure
that each employee is
engaged in our plan
and understands the
role they play.
Steve Finlan
Director of International
Operations
We are now operating
as a more international
business. Combined
with central planning,
we use local
knowledge of customer
preferences to inform
our buying decisions.
This has enabled us to
deliver a clearer and
more appropriate
product offer. Improved
visual merchandising
and our new store
format are also creating
a better, more
consistent shopping
experience for M&S
customers around the
world.
Dominic Fry
Director of
Communications and
Investor Relations
As we continue to
execute our plan for
M&S, we want all our
stakeholders to be
part of the journey.
We stepped up our
levels of shareholder
engagement this year,
enabling many of our
investors to see at first
hand the progress
we’re making, both
in the UK and
internationally. We
are also committed to
increasing the amount
of company information
we make available online
to our stakeholders.
Jan Heere
Director of International
We have a clear plan to
drive growth in our
priority markets. Our
multi-channel approach
enables us to apply
exactly the right model
to each market,
building positions of
authority wherever we
operate and
strengthening
relationships with our
franchise partners. Our
plan is being delivered
by a best in class
international team
comprising externally-
sourced talent and
proven M&S expertise.
Dirk Lembregts
Director of Supply
Chain
M&S’ supply chain is
the backbone of our
business. This year we
continued our
investment in the
creation of more
efficient operations
across the M&S supply
chain. These will help
us meet – and exceed
– our customers’
heightened
expectations as the
business continues to
grow. The progress we
have made this year will
deliver significant
improvements in the
way we serve our
customers.
Nayna McIntosh
Director of
Store Environment and
Product Presentation
Our new-format store
environment is
designed to inspire and
delight our customers,
prompting them to take
a fresh look at M&S.
Our new in-store trend
zones – showcasing
the season’s latest
looks – give a great first
impression and we use
elements of theatre to
enhance the look of our
Food Halls. Our new
M&S Beauty and Home
departments have
further strengthened
our position as a
specialist retailer.
Amanda Mellor
Group Secretary and
Head of Corporate
Governance
We believe that trust is
established and
maintained by doing
things in the right way.
At M&S, effective
governance derives
from a balance
between leadership
and collaboration – and
we work hard to ensure
this applies to all the
decisions we make.
Trust is cemented
further through
increased transparency
and we have continued
to become more open
– both in the
information we provide
and the way in which
we report it.
Darrell Stein
Director of IT
Our IT infrastructure
supports the whole of
M&S, touching every
employee across the
business. This year we
improved processes
and drove greater
efficiency through the
business, embedding
new Food and HR
systems. We continue
to create solutions that
give us the necessary
flexibility to meet our
strategic goals, and will
launch new General
Merchandise systems
and a multi-channel
platform in the year
ahead.