M&S has boosted its executive team with new digital and international bosses as it embarks on the next phase of its transformation.

The retailer has hired advertising giant WPP’s CIO Rachel Higham as its new chief digital and technology officer, and promoted clothing and home supply chain and logistics director Mark Lemming to managing director of its international business.

The pair will sit on M&S’ executive committee when they take up their roles later this year.

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M&S boss Stuart Machin said the appointments reflected “the importance of digital and technology and capital-light international growth to the next phase of our transformation”, which sees the retailer target 1% growth in market share for its food business.

Machin added: “As I set out at our recent Capital Markets Day, we have more to do in both of these areas and so much opportunity. Rachel and Mark are a fantastic addition to the executive team and I am confident that, with their leadership, we will accelerate the pace of change in the business as we reshape M&S for growth.”

The new hires follow a strong Christmas for M&S, where food sales increased 10.5% to £2.3bn as Machin said it “led the market on volume growth”.