M&S appoints John Hunt as chief digital and technology officer

British retailer Marks & Spencer Group Plc (M&S) has appointed John Hunt as its new Chief Digital and Technology Officer.

The company said in a post on the business network Linkedin that Hunt will join the company this summer. He brings more than 30 years of experience in retail and has led the digital and technology teams of large companies in South Africa and Australia. He currently works as Chief Information Officer and Managing Director of Group Enablement for Woolworths Group in Sydney.

In his new role at M&S, he will take over the Digital, Data and Technology portfolio from Operations Director Sacha Berendji. Berendji will remain on the retailer’s board of directors until April 2027 and will continue to lead M&S’s real estate and store development division.

Hunt’s appointment followed Simon Wood’s announcement that he would be leaving the retailer after 25 years. Wood most recently held the position of Head of Operations at M&S.com. Since joining in October 2000, he had held various roles at M&S, including Head of Web Operations and Director of M&S.com, before being promoted to Head of Operations. “The time has come to move on,” he said in a Linkedin post.