Marks and Spencer is losing another of its longstanding executives as its director of store environment and product presentation Nayna McIntosh prepares to exit the business in August.

The news follows the revelation this morning that Marks & Spencer’s respected marketing director Steven Sharp is preparing to step down. Sharp, who leaves in July, has presided over the retailer’s marketing for almost a decade.

Sources told Retail Week that McIntosh intends to take time out before pursuing “entrepreneurial” activities. She has been with the retailer for more than eight years, joining in February 2005, and has been credited with rolling out major store refurbishment programmes under both former boss Sir Stuart Rose and current chief executive Marc Bolland.

McIntosh’s exit follows that of Marks & Spencer’s director of lingerie and beauty Janie Schaffer, who exited the retailer in April after three months, as revealed by Retail-Week.com.

McIntosh was previously part of the management team that set up the Per Una brand in September 2001. Before this she was sales and marketing director for the George clothing brand in Asda stores. She has also worked at Next where she was a divisional executive for the South of England.