House of Fraser poaches M&S digital boss to head up marketing
House of Fraser has named M&S’s director of digital David Walmsley as chief customer officer following the sudden departure of Andy Harding last month.
Taking on responsibility for customer strategy across brand, marketing, digital and multi-channel sales in the UK and internationally, Walmsley will oversee the three-month old team underpinning the retailer’s ambitions to become more ‘consumer-centric’.
He brings experience from M&S, Dixons Retail Group - where he was director of e-commerce - and a two-and-a-half-year stint as rival the head of online for John Lewis.
Walmsley will report to chief executive Nigel Oddy who said: “He has a wealth of experience in the retail and digital space, which will be invaluable as we continue to develop our leading multi-channel proposition, both in the UK and internationally. He joins at a very exciting time for our business and we look forward to working with him.”
Harding – who had been with the retailer five years – quit just weeks after orchestrating an overhaul of the newly formed ‘customer team’.