Marks & Spencer hires new managing director of food
Marks & Spencer has appointed Alex Freudmann as managing director of its food business.
He will succeed Stuart Machin who is now the retailer’s chief executive and will hand over his food responsibilities on Freudmann’s arrival.
Freudmann is currently managing director of Dan Murphy’s, Australia’s leading beer, wine and spirits retailer. He will take up his new role on 1 November and will sit on the retailer’s executive committee.
Having also worked with food and drink retailers Tesco and Coles, Freudmann joined Endeavour Group’s Dan Murphy’s in January 2020. M&S said he has led significant changes whilst there, including a substantial shift to digital and online.
Machin explained: “Alex will bring a great deal of experience and passion to our business. He has worked in food retailing for nearly two decades and in all of his roles he’s been a change-maker – bringing intellect, pace and energy. He will be a great addition to our top team as we work together to deliver the next stage of our transformation.”
Freudmann said he shared the executive team’s belief in the long-term potential to double the size M&S’s food business.
He added: “I’ve watched how the business has been transformed over the past few years from afar. The team has done a great job of building a bigger, better Food business through investing in trusted value and core categories while maintaining the outstanding quality and innovation the brand is famous for.
“I am looking forward to coming back to the UK and working with a great team to accelerate the pace of change to build an even bigger, better, fresher food business.”
