Directorate Change

Marks & Spencer Group PLC
10 July 2002

m press release

Issued: 10 July 2002



          MARKS & SPENCER SPLITS ROLES OF CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE


Marks and Spencer Group plc is today announcing a new leadership structure for
its re-shaped and more focused business.

With effect from 1 September 2002, Luc Vandevelde reverts to his original
position as Chairman and Roger Holmes is appointed as Chief Executive. Luc's
role as Chairman will be part-time from 1 January 2003.

Each of the main divisions of the company will now be represented on the Board,
headed by a Group Director. The Group Directors reporting to Roger Holmes will
be Alison Reed, Finance Director, Laurel Powers-Freeling as CEO of Marks &
Spencer Financial Services, David Norgrove who assumes responsibility for
Clothing and Justin King who is newly appointed to the Group Board with
responsibility for Food. These changes will take effect from 1 September 2002.

In addition to leading the Group Board, Luc will remain closely involved in the
development of corporate strategy, he will chair the Board of Marks & Spencer
Financial Services* and will be Chairman of the Corporate Social Responsibility
Committee.

Having successfully established and developed a strong marketing capability to
support the new Divisional structure, Alan McWalter, Group Marketing Director,
has decided to pursue other interests outside the Company.


Luc Vandevelde said:


'We are a different and more focused business today. We have completed the
re-structuring of the company, we are pursuing a clear strategy and with this
announcement we are putting in place the right leadership structure.

'Roger has been key to our recovery and has delivered excellent results since he
joined in December 2000. I regard him as the right man to take the company
forward and I look forward to continuing to work with him to seize the
opportunities ahead. Along with the appointments of David Norgrove and Justin
King, I believe we have struck an important balance between stability at the top
and allowing new talent to emerge.

'I also want to thank Alan for the significant contribution he has made to the
recovery, the restructuring and the lead he has taken in the redevelopment of
the Marks & Spencer brand.'


Roger Holmes said:

'I am delighted to be given the opportunity to lead the Company towards
re-establishing Marks & Spencer as the standard against which all others would
wish to be measured. Today's trading results reflect another step in winning
back the confidence of our customers as we apply the enduring principles of
quality, value, service and innovation to the new opportunities and demands of
today's marketplace.'


*Subject to normal regulatory procedures


Ends


For further information, please contact:

Corporate Press Office  020 7268 8642



Biographies

                                 DAVID NORGROVE


David Norgrove has been with Marks & Spencer for fourteen years, having joined
in 1988. From 1988 to 1994 he worked mainly on the expansion of the
international business, including franchising world-wide and continental Europe
and focusing on international clothing markets. From 1994 to 1997 he worked in
Menswear buying, including responsibility for a review of procurement and
product development. This work continued during the following two years, when he
was responsible for business strategy, and led to the restructuring of the
clothing supply base. After a period in new business development, he was
promoted to the Board in September 2000 to be Director for group strategy and
international. He played a key role in developing and then implementing the
strategy for recovery.

Before joining Marks & Spencer, David worked in HM Treasury and the First
National Bank of Chicago. He was Private Secretary to Mrs. Thatcher from 1985 to
1988.


                                  JUSTIN KING

Justin King has been with Marks & Spencer as Business Unit Director of Food for
just over a year, having joined in March 2001. Justin has had a number of roles
in the food industry in production, buying and sales, starting at Mars and then
with Pepsi International. In 1990, he was recruited by Haagen-Dazs (Grand
Metropolitan) to devise the European market entry strategy. He then became
Managing Director of the UK business, responsible for the brand's early
development in the UK. From 1994 to 2001 Justin was part of the turnaround
management team at Asda, with various trading roles, including Deputy Trading
Director. Following the Wal-Mart take over, he was appointed Retail Managing
Director, responsible for the Asda-Walmart hypermarkets. Justin opened the first
three Asda-Walmart supercentres in the UK.

Justin has a BSc in Business Administration from Bath University and is married
with two children.


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange