Marks and Spencer’s current chief digital and technology officer, Jeremy Pee, has announced that he will be leaving the company despite being handed an expanded role earlier this year.
According to The Times, Pee is the mastermind behind the growth of the retailer’s online shopping app and Sparks loyalty programme.
Under his reign, the number of active users of M&S’s app jumped by 40% to 4.3 million people last year.
Pee led the overhaul of M&S’s digital capabilities, including turning stores into hubs for click-and-collect purchases and introducing digital screens that allow customers to return unwanted clothing.
He first joined the firm in 2018 from Loblaw, Canada’s largest supermarket chain, where he developed and managed ecommerce businesses for the Weston family-owned retailer.
It is understood that Pee is leaving to return to Canada, and his responsibilities will now be taken on by M&S’s co-chief executive officer Katie Bickerstaffe until a replacement is found.
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“After five years at M&S, Jeremy is moving his family back to Canada in a planned move,” a spokesman for the retail chain said.
Last week, M&S upgraded its annual profit forecast off the back of resilient sales in both its food and clothing businesses, which grew by 11% and 6% on a like-for-like basis, respectively.
The retailer now expects to report growth in pre-tax profits, which came in at £482m last year.
