UK | As M&S resets its international business, it has strengthened its global leadership team with three new senior appointments.
Manish Kapoor, previously of Pepe Jeans, has joined as the new managing director for M&S India. Victoria Jones, formerly of Clarks, has stepped into the role as international commercial director, and Richard Davies has been promoted to international partnerships director. He was previously head of category for brands at M&S.
All three will report to Mark Lemming, the international managing director appointed last year as M&S announced a reset of priorities for its international business under fresh leadership.
Manish Kapoor was most recently managing director and CEO at Pepe Jeans and will bring a wealth of experience building global retail brands with a deep understanding of Indian consumers.
Before Pepe Jeans, Kapoor was chief operating officer at French Connection in India from 2012-2014, where he reset their strategy, turning it into a profitable menswear brand.
His tenure at Benetton, starting in 2005, saw him grow the India business and expand the brand's footprint in South and Southeast Asia. He also launched Benetton's e-commerce vertical in India and played a pivotal role in scaling Sisley’s business in India.
At M&S, Kapoor will be accountable for driving India's strategic plans forward.
Victoria Jones joined M&S from Clarks, where she spent the last three years leading the global strategy for end-to-end planning, assortment, trading, and delivery.
She will be accountable for the product strategy of the international business across both clothing and food, ensuring the right product is available for customers in the right place, at the right time, leveraging the best of the UK.
Richard Davies joined M&S in 2011 as a regional manager for the southeast before moving to the support centre, where he worked across a number of roles within clothing and home.
In 2021, Davies was appointed head of category for ‘Brands at M&S’, building the UK third-party brand strategy from scratch, which has over 100 partners. He has joined as partnerships director to unite the franchise and wholesale selling models under one umbrella.
“The reset of our international business is focussed on taking the right time and actions to build strong foundations for sustainable growth,” said Lemming.
“Building an experienced global leadership team is an essential element of this plan. Manish, Victoria, and Richard will play important roles in bringing fresh perspectives on our international reset and future growth strategy. As we continue to progress with our strategy, I remain confident in the medium and long-term opportunity for M&S to drive global growth.”
Lemming has reset the international business, building strong foundations for future growth through capital-light partnerships and a multi-platform online business.
Over time, the reset will enable greater opportunity to leverage the strength and knowledge of the M&S UK business and trusted brand to increase global reach.
Building a strong leadership team with global experience has been an important element of the reset and future growth plan.
