Retail 100: The most influential leaders of 2024 revealed

The who’s who of the UK c-suite has landed for 2024. 

Retail Week has today published the Retail 100, the 19th annual definitive index of the sector’s most influential leaders, in partnership with BigCommerce, Cloudinary, Ecommpay and Genesys.  

• Take me to the Retail 100

Decided by a panel of esteemed journalists and retail analysts, the Retail 100 celebrates the country’s most inspiring individuals setting the agendas for retailers across the board. 

This year there are 30 new entries, 28 female leaders celebrated and more strategists than ever before as retailers double down on growth and transformation. 

The list spans individuals pursuing transformative strategies (Strategists), those speaking out for customers and colleagues (People Champions), those implementing disruptive business models (Disruptors), those leading sustainability and ESG (Sustainability Activists), and those driving CX innovation (Experience Innovators).  

The Retail 100 2024 in numbers

Fewer fresh faces as strategies take shape  

The Retail 100 for 2024 has fewer new entries than in recent years. While almost a third of the list are fresh faces (30), this is markedly lower than 2023 (44) and 2022 (36).  

New entries include John Lewis Partnership executive director Peter Ruis, the retail veteran tasked with transforming the retailer’s fortunes; Urban Outfitters Europe managing director Emma Wisden with her Gen Z-targeted strategy; and Mamas & Papas chief executive Nathan Williams, who has led an almighty turnaround of the 40-year-old retailer.  

The continuity of many of last year’s leaders is demonstrative of the success of individuals in progressing strategies that are both beginning to take shape and delivering ongoing growth.  

Indeed, there are more Retail 100 leaders classified as strategists this year – up 16% to 51.  

Among the strategists celebrated are Ann Summers chief executive Maria Hollins. Hollins featured in the index for the first time last year, having taken on the top role following the sad passing of Jacqueline Gold.

In her second year as chief executive, Hollins has pursued a strategy of investment and expansion, opening four new UK stores and redesigning the retailer’s website and digital proposition, which – as her Retail 100 profile evidences – has contributed to an uptick in sales and profits.  

Industry oracle Lord Simon Wolfson is also once again featured among the strategists. His evolution of the Next business, which includes overseas expansion and supply chain investment via its Total Platform, is generating results and his peers are taking note.