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Marks & Spencer

M&S clothing boss quits after 26 years

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By Jennifer Faull, Deputy Editor

July 17, 2015 | 2 min read

The boss of M&S’s ailing clothing business John Dixon has left the retailer where he has served for nearly three decades to take up the chief executive role at an as yet, unnamed company.

Dixon, who started out on the shop floor, took over running the clothing and homewares business in 2012.

However, the division – until earlier this year – suffered 15 consecutive quarters of decline. Despite what seemed to be a resurgence thanks to marketing campaigns featuring model Rosie Huntington Whitley the revival was shortlived as sales of its non-food products slipped (by 0.4 per cent) once again iin ts latest quarter.

In contrast, food sales were up 0.3 per cent.

Current head of food Steve Rowe is set to take over Dixon as head of non-food while Andy Adcock has been named director of food.

Dixon explained that while he had "thoroughly enjoyed" his time at M&S, he “now [has] the opportunity to become a chief executive and has therefore resigned from this great company.”

M&S chief executive Mark Bolland and M&S chairman Robert Swannell thanked Dixon for his contribution to the business in a statement confirming his departure.

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