Former Dixon Carphone boss appointed M&S director

Department store Marks and Spencer has appointed Katie Bickerstaffe and Pip McCrostie to its board as non-executive directors.

Bickerstaffe was previously the CEO of Dixons Carphone, and will bring “a deep understanding of retail and operations, as well as experience in marketing, people, property”.

McCrostie has experience in finance and transactions from a career at accounting firm Ernst & Young, where she transformed and led the Global Corporate Finance business.

Commenting on the appointments, Archie Norman, chairman of M&S said: “We are delighted to welcome Katie Bickerstaffe and Pip McCrostie to the board of M&S. As we embark on the first phase of our transformation programme we are building a cohesive and engaged board with deep and relevant skills in retail and business change.”

Dixons Carphone recently appointed Jonny Mason to its board as group finance director after a year as interim CEO at Halfords.

Mason’s early career included roles as CFO at Odeon and UCI Cinemas, finance director of Sainsbury’s supermarkets and finance roles at Shell and Hanson.

At the time Ian Livingston, chairman of Dixons Carphone, said: “The board and I are very pleased to welcome Jonny Mason to the group”. He added that, together with incoming CEO of Dixons Carphone Alex Baldock, “we now have a great new team to lead Dixons Carphone”.