Agenda 2026

The interviewer will ask the interviewee some of the following questions as well as asking the audience to ask some questions of their own

• You’ve held key board positions at M&S, ASDA, Target, Kingfisher and Coles.  What key lessons has this taught you about retail leadership? 

• How have board-level job descriptions changed over the last two years within retail companies and why?  

• Last April, M&S suffered a serious cyber-attack causing huge disruption and a £300m hit to operating profit.  How did M&S fight back and how would you advise other leaders to act in the face of the growing likelihood of further attacks?

• M&S has recently responded to increasing shoplifting and staff assaults by rolling out body-worn cameras.  What results have you seen so far and what has it taught you about retail crime? 

• What can retailers do to keep their workforce truly engaged even in a highly disruptive and constantly-changing environments? 

• M&S is well respected for the success of its recent transformation and turnaround.  What did that look like from a restructuring and culture perspective and why? 

• Many retail leaders are looking to maximise efficiency and cut costs in 2026.  What advice would you offer them? 

• M&S were one of the pioneers of sustainability in retail but it’s still a struggle for many companies.  What advice would you give retailers on the topic of sustainability? 

• You were previously Chair of Signal AI for five years.  What are you most excited about and concerned about regarding the impact of AI  on retail? 

• Which new innovations should retailers be embracing to take personalisation, customer experience and loyalty to the next level? 

• How do you see food and clothing trends evolving over the next three years and what are M&S doing today to capitalise on it?