M&S poaches Dixons Carphone finance boss Humphrey Singer

Singer, who is group finance director at Dixons Carphone, has spent a decade at the electricals retailer and helped merge it with Carphone Warehouse in 2014.

He replaces Helen Weir, who revealed in November that she would be leaving M&S to pursue a portfolio career.

M&S chief executive Steve Rowe said: “As we embark on our five-year transformation programme, Humphrey will be a great addition to the top team.

“His experience as part of the team that led Dixons through its period of change and migration to multichannel retailer is most relevant to what we are undertaking here. This, coupled with his retail expertise and eye for detail and cost, will be very important to our team dynamic as we move forward.”

Singer added: “Under Steve M&S is changing and there’s no better time to be joining the team that is transforming the business.”

Blow to Dixons Carphone

This is the second time M&S has raided Dixons Carphone to bolster its top team in the past two months. 

The retailer hired Victoria Self, customer director of Dixons Carphone, as digital director of clothing, home and food in November.

Singer’s departure will come as a blow to Dixons Carphone, which has suffered a number of high-profile exits in recent months.

Graham Stapleton, who led its software business Honeybee, was named the new chief executive of Halfords, where he starts this week; retail director Nick Smith was poached by DFS in October; and central operations director Paul Justice joined Debenhams late last year.

Singer is expected to remain in post at Dixons Carphone until July.

Dixons Carphone chief executive Sebastian James said: “Humphrey has played a vital role in the Dixons Carphone transformation.

“His deep understanding of retail, hard work, absolute integrity and good humour have made working with him both a pleasure and a privilege.

“He leaves the business in a healthy financial position and with leading market positions in every country in which it operates.

“On behalf of everyone at Dixons Carphone, I thank Humphrey most sincerely for his dedication and commitment to the business and wish him every success in his exciting new role.”