Managing director of Anthropologie Europe James Bidwell has left the retailer after a business restructure made his role redundant.

The US retailer said: “Anthropologie is undergoing a global restructuring to better leverage internal resources in order to be closer to the customer, achieve greater efficiencies and to prepare for future international expansion. As a result the managing director position formerly held by James Bidwell has been made redundant. Co-presidents of the Anthropologie brand, Wendy B. McDevitt and Wendy Wurtzburger, will take responsibility for brand management and growth with support from UK-based team.

“We believe this strategic shift will continue to build our global brand and simultaneously improve the customer experience.”

Bidwell joined Anthropologie in February last year and oversaw the opening of the chain’s first two UK stores in Regent Street and the Kings Road in Chelsea. He also launched Anthropologie’s first international website.

Bidwell formerly held roles at Selfridges and was the chief executive of Visit London.

At the first quarter results for parent company Urban Outfitters the retailer said sales at Anthropologie for the three months to April 30 grew 22%.

Urban Outfitters chief executive Glen Senk said international was a strong growth area for the business

 “I used to think international sales could be 25 percent of our business,” he said. “We could find out over time that it’s 50 percent. We no longer view ourselves as a North American retailer. The European business is becoming increasingly important to the company.”