Marks & Spencer has appointed Mars Food global president Fiona Dawson to its board, bringing “cutting-edge” consumer and brand experience.
Dawson will join Marks & Spencer as a non-executive director at the end of May. The retailer expects to benefit from her FMCG insight from a “spectacular career” at Mars, which generates sales of $40bn a year.
M&S said Dawson also “has a strong track record in sustainability, health and wellbeing, particularly women’s entrepreneurship and human rights”.
M&S chair Archie Norman said: “We operate a highly engaged board committed to the transformation of M&S, one of the UK’s most loved brands, and Fiona is another very strong addition to our team.
“She comes from the Mars school of management and the culture and commercial dynamism that goes with that. She has turned around businesses, run and built factories and understands what is required to drive change.
“As a former president of the IGD and through leading a major supplier, she knows the UK and global food retail industry better than anyone. She has operated at the cutting edge of consumer marketing and her background is in growing iconic, heritage brands.
“As a business leader, Fiona has been a trailblazer as the first ever female general manager at Mars UK, helping steer not just Mars but also the broader food industry through challenging health and regulatory issues.
“Fiona has epitomised the Mars culture of driving growth with a strong moral compass. Her focus on coupling societal change with performance, underpinned by a strong corporate culture, makes her a superb fit for Marks & Spencer.”
Dawson’s appointment means that women will make up 40% of M&S’ board following the appointments of Tamara Ingram, Sapna Sood and Evelyn Bourke over the last year.
That is ahead of the 33% target set by the Hampton-Alexander Review to improve women’s representation in business leadership.
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