Jeremy Pee, M&S’s chief of digital and technology, announces departure.
- Pee’s exit follows an earlier promotion to an expanded role.
- Under Pee, M&S saw a 40% rise in app users to 4.3 million.
- He enhanced M&S’s digital services, including click-and-collect.
- M&S’s co-CEO will temporarily assume Pee’s responsibilities.
Jeremy Pee, the chief digital and technology officer at Marks & Spencer, has revealed his plans to exit the company, despite having received a promotion that broadened his role earlier in the year. Pee’s significant contributions to the company include spearheading the retailer’s online shopping application and the Sparks loyalty programme. Under his leadership, these initiatives reached new heights as the number of active users of M&S’s app surged by 40%, reaching a total of 4.3 million last year.
Pee’s tenure at M&S was marked by a transformative overhaul of the company’s digital operations. Notably, he implemented strategic changes such as converting store locations into multifunctional hubs that support click-and-collect purchases, as well as integrating digital screens to facilitate clothing returns. Before joining M&S in 2018, Pee demonstrated his expertise in e-commerce by expanding online business for Loblaw, Canada’s leading supermarket chain.
According to sources, Jeremy Pee is departing to return to Canada, with his responsibilities now temporarily entrusted to Katie Bickerstaffe, M&S’s co-chief executive officer, until a suitable successor is appointed. Pee’s departure is described by the company as a planned move, as he prepares to relocate his family back to his home country.
This organisational shift comes at a time when Marks & Spencer has upgraded its annual profit projections, driven by robust sales performance in both its food and clothing divisions. Recent figures show like-for-like sales growth of 11% in food and 6% in clothing. The retailer now anticipates an increase in pretax profits, which amounted to £482 million in the previous fiscal year.
Jeremy Pee’s departure represents both a challenge and an opportunity for Marks & Spencer as it continues its digital evolution.
