In a surprising turn of events, Marks & Spencer has appointed Sean Doyle, the Irish CEO of British Airways, to its board. This move comes just 18 months after Archie Norman, the chairman of M&S, publicly criticized BA’s declining service on social media.
Doyle will take on the role of a non-executive director on December 1st, as M&S aims to boost its market share and profits in the food and fashion sectors. The retailer praised Doyle for representing “an iconic British brand with an extraordinary public presence.”
However, this appointment is somewhat ironic, given Norman’s previous comments about BA’s performance. In May 2024, he expressed his disappointment on X, stating that several of his BA flights had been canceled, and adding that it was “sad to see a great airline deteriorate.” These posts were later removed.
In a recent lighthearted response to those comments, Norman joked, “I’m glad to say there has been an improvement in punctuality since that episode. Having Sean on our board means I won’t need to air my views on X anymore. I’m sure we can learn a lot from each other about customer service.”
BA and M&S have a history of collaboration, with BA offering M&S food to economy passengers on short-haul flights since 2017. This partnership later evolved to include Tom Kerridge’s products.
Doyle will join another retail heavyweight, Roger Burnley, the former CEO of Asda, on the M&S board next month. Doyle described his role at BA as a “very special job,” adding that “not many brands can match that, but M&S certainly can.”
British Airways is owned by IAG, a FTSE 100 group that also owns Iberia and Aer Lingus. Interestingly, Doyle previously served as the CEO of Aer Lingus.
Norman, a highly respected figure in UK retail, and Stuart Machin, the CEO of M&S, have successfully revitalized the company after years of decline. They have refocused the food business to cater to families, re-established M&S as a prominent clothing retailer, and are currently undergoing a multi-year store renewal program. Additionally, M&S is recovering from a cyber attack earlier this year, which disrupted its online sales of clothes and furniture for seven weeks.
Despite UK corporate governance guidelines recommending a maximum term of nine years for chairs, Norman has committed to staying on until 2029, extending his tenure to 12 years. This decision has sparked some controversy, with many questioning the wisdom of such a long tenure.
What do you think about this appointment and the potential impact it could have on M&S’s future? Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!