John Lewis has streamlined its management team in a bid to accelerate decision-making decisions at the department store chain.

Marketing director Gill Barr, who sat on the retailer’s board, has been made redundant and will leave at the end of this week. Commercial director Phil Hullah and Miranda Goodenough, head of direct marketing, have also left the business.

Gareth Thomas, head of retail design and development has been promoted to retail director.

Barr joined from Woolworths in January 2007, and has overseen the ramping up of the retailer’s marketing strategy, including the use of supermodel Karen Elson in its fashion campaigns.

Last month, its second fashion campaign launched with Elson and a menswear campaign debuted featuring model Matthew Avedon. It has also launched a new spring home campaign.

The brand communications, creative services and marketing department will now report to merchandising director Jill Little.

A spokeswoman for John Lewis said of the reshuffle: “John Lewis has made no secret of the fact that it has recently been looking to reduce the size of its management board to enable swifter decision making as is appropriate for a vibrant and forward-looking business”.

It is unclear whether there will be further redundancies.

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