Marks & Spencer appoints new chief digital product officer

Marks & Spencer is boosting its digital capabilities with the appointment of its first chief digital product officer, Krista Nordlund.

Nordlund is currently chief product officer at US digital rental marketplace RentPath, which she joined in 2016. Her CV also includes stints at consumer-facing brands USA Today, Expedia and US Airways.

She will join M&S in January and has been charged with driving enhancements to its app and website to improve the customer experience across all digital touchpoints.

M&S has been undergoing a digital transformation of late that seeks to put digital first and not simply treat it as an extension of its stores business. It said this focus has led to significant digital growth evidenced by the 50% increase in app users during 2021. Its relaunched Sparks loyalty scheme now has 14 million members.

Jeremy Pee, chief digital and data officer at M&S, said: “Online and mobile increasingly represent how more of our customers are choosing to shop with us today, so it’s vital we deliver fast, easy and personalised experiences for our customers every time, and Krista’s experience will play a huge part in helping us build our digital capabilities as we shape the future of M&S.”

Nordlund said of her appointment: "It’s a great time to be joining M&S as increasing numbers turn to online shopping and the business builds its omnichannel offering.

“I see a huge opportunity to support the next phase of our transformation by taking the digital experiences we offer customers to the next level.”