The Marks & Spencer (M&S) executive responsible for its technology function is leaving the retailer months after a devastating cyber attack which disrupted its systems at a cost of hundreds of millions of pounds. Sky News has learnt that Rachel Higham, M&S’s chief digital and technology officer, is leaving the company.
A former WPP and BT Group executive, Ms. Higham was hired by M&S early last year. Her departure was announced in an internal memo circulated on Thursday. In it, the company said she was «stepping back from her role». «Rachel has been a steady hand and calm head at an extraordinary time for the business, and we wish her well for the future».
The April cyber attack on M&S, which was conducted by a group called Scattered Spider, brought its online operations to a halt, underlining the growing threat posed by such incidents. Its click-and-collect service is now back up and running, and the retailer expects part of its costs to be covered by insurance.
M&S said early last month that it was not looking to replace Ms. Higham following an enquiry from Sky News. It was unclear who would succeed her in the role or whether she would be eligible for a payoff. An M&S spokeswoman confirmed on Thursday that the memo was genuine but refused to comment further.
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