Next sales and marketing chief Shields to retire, Barnes steps up

Next said Friday that Jane Shields, its group sales, marketing and HR director, is planning to retire from the company in May.

She’ll step down from the board on 21 May with the company saying she retires “after 40 years of outstanding service”. She actually joined as a sales assistant way back in 1985, was promoted to sales director 14 years later, then group sales & marketing director in 2010. She joined the board three years after that.

So who’s taking her role? Matt Barnes will be promoted to the role of group sales and marketing director and “will take on most of Jane’s operational remit”. That means e-commerce, brand marketing, retail stores and online customer services.

Barnes is another company veteran who joined in 1999. He’s currently online customer service director and won’t be joining the board “at this stage”.

Meanwhile the company also announced some non-exec director board changes with Jonathan Bewes, senior independent director and chairman of the Audit Committee, set to retire from the board on 21 May after a nine-year tenure.

Annette Court and digital specialist Jeni Mundy will be appointed as independent non-executive directors with effect from 1 March and 1 April, respectively. Court will be appointed as senior independent director from 21 May. Soumen Das is also being appointed Audit Committee chair at the same time.