Marks & Spencer adds British Airways boss to board
Marks & Spencer has appointed Sean Doyle, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of British Airways, as a Non-Executive Director, effective from 1 December 2025.
Doyle, who brings experience representing another prominent British brand with significant public visibility, will also serve on the retailer's Audit & Risk and Nomination Committees.
"Being the Chief Executive Officer of Britain’s flag carrier is a very special job, as you are the custodian of a brand which is part of the fabric of the country. Not many brands can equal that, but Marks & Spencer certainly can," Doyle said.
"I am privileged to join a board focused on ‘protecting the magic’ of the brand as it modernises the business through its growth strategy, and I look forward to supporting the next phase."
Archie Norman, Chair at M&S, added: "We are delighted to have one of the UK’s leading serving Chief Executive’s join our board. M&S is the most public of public companies, and Sean will bring great leadership and strong operating skills to M&S as we prepare for the next phase of reshaping."
His appointment follows the announcement that former Asda CEO Roger Burnley will join the board on 1 December, alongside the extension of Norman’s tenure as Chair.
These changes are part of a broader initiative to refresh the board as M&S enters the next phase of its growth strategy.
It comes after Marks & Spencer’s profits more than halved following a major cyber attack earlier this year. The retailer reported that underlying pre-tax profits fell 55.4% to £184.1 million for the six months ending 27 September 2025.
It said the total cost of the attack is expected to reach around £136 million, including approximately £34 million in the second half of its financial year. However, the company recovered £100 million in the first half through an insurance payout related to the hack.
The overall impact remains well below the £300 million cost estimate M&S CEO Stuart Machin had provided in May.
Main image credit: British Airways
