M&S Tech Chief Rachel Higham to Step Down After Cyberattack Fallout

 

M&S Tech Chief Rachel Higham to Step Down After Cyberattack Fallout

London, September 11, 2025 — Marks & Spencer (M&S) has announced that its Chief Digital & Technology Officer, Rachel Higham, will be stepping down and taking a career break. Higham joined M&S in June 2024, bringing prior experience from roles at WPP and BT. Reuters+2Sky News+2

Her exit comes several months after a major cyberattack — attributed to the group Scattered Spider — that crippled M&S’s online operations in April. The incident disrupted click‑and‑collect services and caused stock delivery problems, costing the company an estimated £300 million in lost operating profit for its 2025/26 year. Reuters+1

Internal Reshuffle & Who’s Stepping In

• Sacha Berendji, a long‑time company executive, will now head the digital & technology functions in addition to his existing property and store development responsibilities. Reuters+1

• Thinus Keeve, who joined M&S in June 2025 as retail director, will now report directly to CEO Stuart Machin. Reuters+1

Market & Strategic Implications

• Since the cyberattack disclosure, M&S shares have been down, reflecting investor concerns over disruptions and cybersecurity risk. Reuters

• The move underscores how critically digital operations now factor into retail resilience. Under Higham, M&S had been pushing for better in‑house IT skills, data modernization, and closing what she described as a “decade of underinvestment” in tech. Telegraph+2Business Insurance+2