Marks & Spencer has appointed a new chief financial officer whose experience includes transformation

Alison Dolan

Alison Dolan

Marks & Spencer has drafted in Alison Dolan for the role. She joins from online property business Rightmove, where she is CFO, and succeeds Jeremy Townsend who has held the M&S post on an interim basis.

An exact start date is yet to be arranged for Dolan, who has previously held senior positions at media businesses including News UK and Sky. Townsend will remain in post until May next year.

M&S said Dolan would bring “a wealth of experience from her current role… and from previous finance, strategy, and transformation roles”.

M&S chief executive Stuart Machin said: “I am delighted to welcome Alison to M&S as our chief financial officer. We are fortunate to attract somebody of Alison’s calibre who will be a fantastic addition to the leadership team and with so much experience in fast-paced, digitally-led businesses, will help us in this next phase of transforming M&S.

“I want to thank Jeremy for all his hard work and support. He will leave M&S in the strongest financial health the business has been in for decades.”

Dolan said: “I’m delighted to be joining M&S, Stuart and the leadership team at such an exciting time for the business. As a customer, I’ve always loved the brand and am thrilled to be part of reshaping the business for growth. The scale and pace of change are significant and there are so many great opportunities ahead.”