Carmel McQuaid is to replace Mike Barry when he steps down from his role as M&S sustainable business director at the end of the month.
Barry, a key figure behind M&S’s Plan A sustainability strategy, will depart the business on 30 June after 19 years with the company.
Plan A, of which Barry was a key author, made its debut in 2007 and outlined 180 commitments aimed at making M&S the world’s most sustainable retailer.
It has since reduced its use of plastic carrier bags by 80%, and made its stores, offices and warehouses in the UK and Ireland carbon neutral.
McQuaid, who has worked at M&S for 11 years, most recently as head of sustainable business, will now lead the agenda, which will focus on how to more deeply integrate sustainability into each area of the business and develop the Plan A proposition to ensure it is aligned with the commercial strategy and is relevant to its customers.
Pledges in its most recent 2019 performance update include reducing food waste in its UK stores by 20% per sq ft against 2013/14 figures by 2020, and reviewing opportunities to donate an increased amount of food to charities.
By 2022, the retailer also plans to assess the feasibility of making all M&S plastic packaging from one polymer group to help maximise the use of recycled content.
“As we transform M&S, our commitment to doing business in the right way for our planet and communities remains at the heart of what we stand for,” said an M&S spokesman.
“We’d like to thank Mike for his drive and leadership of our sustainability journey over the last decade and for the significant contribution he’s made to the wider industry. We’re delighted that Carmel McQuaid will now continue this work with a focus on how we integrate sustainability into each area of M&S as we build a family of accountable businesses.”
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