Marks & Spencer (M&S) has appointed former Asda executive Hayley Tatum as its new chief people officer, following the departure of Sarah Findlater, who is leaving the business after 27 years.
Tatum will join the retailer’s executive committee in October, beginning with a month-long induction that will see her working in M&S stores alongside retail staff and in its distribution centres with warehouse employees. She comes from Asda, where she spent 14 years, first as chief people officer and later as chief people and corporate affairs officer. Before that, she held a range of store, regional, and head office positions at Tesco over more than two decades.
M&S chief executive Stuart Machin said Findlater, who has been people director for the past three years, had been “an absolute joy to work with,” describing her as an “incredibly hard worker” who “cares deeply about M&S and its colleagues.” He also highlighted Tatum’s “hands-on and collaborative leadership style,” shaped by her years in HR and store operations, adding that the company has “lots to do in the years ahead” to strengthen connections with both customers and colleagues.
Tatum described her appointment as a “real ‘pinch me’ moment,” saying she was proud to join “the most trusted brand in the UK” after a career spent entirely in retail.
