Marks & Spencer Regulatory News (MKS)

Issued: 17 November 2014

Marks and Spencer Group plc appoints Chief Finance Officer

Marks and Spencer Group plc (M&S) announces the appointment of Helen Weir to its Board as Chief Finance Officer. She will take up her appointment on a date to be confirmed.

Helen is currently Chief Financial Officer at the John Lewis Partnership. She joined John Lewis in 2012 from Lloyds Banking Group plc where she was Group Executive Director, Retail having been Group Finance Director at Lloyds from 2004-2008. Prior to this, Helen was Group Finance Director of Kingfisher plc, and Finance Director of B&Q. She spent her early career at Unilever and McKinsey & Co.

Marc Bolland, Chief Executive, M&S, said:

"We are delighted to be appointing Helen as CFO. She is extremely well qualified, and brings a wealth of relevant financial, retail and consumer experience. We look forward to her joining the M&S team."

Helen Weir said:

"M&S is one of the UK's great brands. This is an exciting time to be joining the company and I am delighted to be part of the team."

For further information, please contact:

Corporate Press Office 020 87181919

Investor Relations 020 8718 1563

Notes to Editors:

Helen is a Non-Executive Director of SAB Miller.

Previous non-executive appointments include City of London Investment Trust Plc, Royal Mail Holdings, Supervisory Board of Hornbach Holding AG and member of the Accounting Standards Board. 

Helen is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and was awarded a CBE for services to Finance in 2008.

Remuneration:

On appointment Helen will receive a basic annual salary of £590,000 and standard benefits commensurate with her position and in line with the M&S Remuneration Policy approved by shareholders in July 2014.

No share awards are being granted in relation to her appointment, however, Helen will receive a one-off payment of £188,500 to compensate for the differential in contractual pension that she is forfeiting to join M&S.

A further award for 2014/15 annual bonus foregone may also be taken into consideration.

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