IN BRIEF: Next names new sales head and senior independent director

Fri, 09th Jan 2026 10:21

Next PLC - Leicester, England-based clothing and homeware retailer - Picks a new non-board sales & marketing director, while also naming a new senior independent director for the board. Matt Barnes, currently the online customer services director, is promoted to group sales & marketing director, replacing Jane Shields, who will retire as sales, marketing & HR director and leave the Next board on May 21, when Next holds its annual general meeting. Barnes joined Next in 1999. He won't join the board "at this stage", Next says. Shields started with Next as a sales assistant in 1985 before becoming sales director in 1999 and sales & marketing director in 2010.

Meanwhile, SID Jonathan Bewes will leave the board at the AGM, having served for nine years. Bewes will be replaced as senior director by Annette Court, who will join the board on March 1. Court is chair of travel shop operator WH Smith PLC and SID of accounting software firm Sage Group PLC. She was chief executive officer of Europe General Insurance for Zurich Financial Services, part of Zurich Insurance Group AG, and CEO of Direct Line, now part of Aviva PLC. Also joining the board, on April 1, is Jeni Mundy, who was a non-executive director of Auto Trader Group PLC and a senior executive at Visa Inc and Vodafone Group PLC.

Next on Tuesday provided its Christmas trading update, saying UK sales and growth in its international business surpassed expectations. Next lifted profit guidance for the fifth time this financial year.

Current stock price: 14,320.00 pence

12-month change: up 51%

By Tom Waite, Alliance News editor

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