M&S Faces Leadership Shake-Up as Digital Chief Exits Post-Hack
Marks & Spencer (M&S) is once again in the spotlight. Just months after appointing a new digital chief, the company faces fresh challenges. A major cyberattack has shaken customer trust and raised questions about its digital strength. Now, with the digital head stepping down, the leadership shake-up is hard to ignore.
We know M&S has worked hard to modernize its brand, pushing e-commerce, mobile apps, and online services to meet customer needs. But the sudden exit of a key leader at such a critical time highlights how fragile digital growth can be. This moment is not just about one resignation; it’s about how a legacy retailer responds to rising cyber risks, leadership gaps, and market pressure.
The Cyberattack Incident
In April 2025, over the Easter weekend, M&S was struck by a cyberattack. Systems for online orders, contactless payments, and click-and-collect were disrupted. The hack was attributed to a group known as Scattered Spider, possibly working with or under a ransomware operation called DragonForce.
By May, M&S estimated that the attack would cost about £300 million in lost operating profit during its 2025/26 financial year. They also warned that full recovery would stretch into July. Some daily losses (just from certain product lines) reached millions of pounds.
Hackers gained access to customer data, names, addresses, email, dates of birth, order history, but not usable payment card details or passwords.
Digital Chief’s Departure
In September 2025, M&S announced that Rachel Higham, its Chief Digital and Technology Officer, is stepping down to take a career break. She had joined the firm in June the previous year. Her departure comes after the company faced heavy pressure over managing the fallout from the cyberattack. Internally, Operations Director Sacha Berendji will assume responsibility for the digital and technology portfolio, in addition to his current duties.
M&S described Higham’s leadership during this turbulent period as steady. Yet, the decision underlines just how serious the incident was, and how much it exposed weaknesses in both systems and leadership readiness.
Leadership Shake-Up at M&S
With Higham’s exit, M&S is reshuffling its top team. Sacha Berendji now holds responsibility for both technology and operations. This puts someone with broader operational experience in charge of both the digital transformation and the recovery process.
The shake-up signals to investors and the market that M&S is trying to steady the ship. It also shows that failures or lapses (whether human, technical, vendor-based, or process) in digital and tech can rise to the top as leadership issues. We see that the company’s governance and executive accountability are being tested.
Implications for M&S’s Digital Future
In the short term, M&S faces risks of delayed digital projects, loss of customer trust, and continuing costs. The hack damaged its reputation and created operational chaos. Some services, like click & collect, were fully down for many weeks.
In the longer term, however, there are opportunities. We expect M&S will invest more in cybersecurity, disaster recovery, and risk management. That may lead to stronger systems. There is also talk internally and in the press that this episode might accelerate digital renewal. For example, they are likely to build in redundancies and manual fallback processes.
Rivals may sense an advantage here. If M&S recovers slowly, competitors with more stable online systems could take customers. But M&S also has a strong brand, loyal consumers, and a large footprint, which gives it resilience.
Cybersecurity in the Retail Sector
The M&S attack is not isolated. Alongside Co-op and Harrods, it stands as one of the major UK retail cyber incidents in 2025. What defines these attacks is a mix of social engineering (where hackers trick staff) plus exploiting vendor or third-party vulnerabilities. Many retailers may assume their direct systems are secure, but weak links in suppliers or in human processes can be exploited.
Regulatory bodies are watching. There is a debate in the UK Parliament about requiring large firms to report material cyberattacks within a fixed time to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). Consumer data protection laws, insurance policies, and breach notification requirements are coming under scrutiny.
The Road Ahead for M&S
We believe M&S has several steps to take to come out stronger:
- Transparency with customers, telling people exactly what happened, what data was accessed, and what steps are being taken. This rebuilds trust.
- Leadership clarity, they need a permanent digital chief who can both innovate and secure. The new leader must have strong backup plans.
- Robust cybersecurity investment, not just in tech, but in staff training, vendor audits, threat detection, and response readiness.
- Manual fallback capabilities, M&S already saw how crippling it is when systems go down. Simple manual or “pen-and-paper” processes should be part of disaster planning.
- Insurance and cost control, making sure losses are mitigated by insurance, and costs are managed during recovery, so profit loss is minimized.
Conclusion
The cyberattack was not just a technical failure; it was a wake-up call for M&S. As the digital chief exits, we see that leadership change reflects the depth of the crisis. But how M&S responds now can shape its future. If they invest smartly in people, systems, and trust, they can rebuild stronger. If not, the weaknesses exposed may continue to cost more than money; they may cost customer loyalty.
FAQS:
M&S was hacked when criminals used phishing emails and weak supplier systems to enter its network. They disrupted services, causing big losses and showing gaps in digital security.
Hackers stole customer names, addresses, emails, birth dates, and shopping history. No usable payment cards or passwords were taken, but stolen personal details still create risks for scams.
Marks and Spencer is facing trouble after a cyberattack disrupted payments and online orders. The hack caused losses, hurt customer trust, and led to a major leadership shake-up.
M&S asks customers to reset passwords for safety. Even if passwords were not stolen, resetting helps protect accounts and prevents hackers from misusing stolen personal details.
Disclaimer:
This content is for informational purposes only and is not financial advice. Always conduct your research.
