Marks & Spencer’s technology boss is leaving the retailer only months after a cyber attack crippled its systems and caused an estimated £300m in losses.
Rachel Higham, who joined M&S in early 2023 after senior roles at BT and WPP, confirmed her departure in a memo to staff on Thursday. Colleagues were told she had provided “a steady hand and calm head at an extraordinary time for the business.”
Fallout From Scattered Spider Hack
The move comes after April’s cyber attack by the hacking group Scattered Spider, which forced M&S’s online services offline, including its popular click-and-collect platform. The disruption severely dented sales and underlined the scale of the threat facing major UK retailers.
Although services have since been restored, the financial hit ran into hundreds of millions of pounds. M&S has said part of the cost is likely to be covered by insurance, but the breach remains one of the most damaging attacks of its kind in Britain.
Leadership Questions
M&S has not said whether Higham will be replaced, and it is unclear who will take charge of its technology operations. The company confirmed the authenticity of the memo but declined to comment further on her departure or on any potential payout.
Higham was recruited to modernise M&S’s digital systems and drive online growth. Her decision to leave after less than two years raises questions about continuity at a time when the retailer is still working to strengthen its defences and reassure customers.
