Executive director, multichannel and ecommerce, Marks & Spencer

Laura Wade-Gery

As coups go, Marc Bolland’s success in poaching the highly-regarded Laura Wade-Gery from Tesco was quite remarkable. The well-liked Wade-Gery had been the driving force behind the development of Tesco’s strong online proposition, but new group chief executive Philip Clarke barely had a chance to move her to a new role heading non-food before she quit to join the Bolland revolution in Paddington.

Wade-Gery has yet to start at M&S, but is the highest profile yet of Bolland’s army of senior hirings. She has a rare combination of talents - the technical knowledge and understanding to develop a web proposition, but also customer insight and commerciality, which make a great retailer.

The challenge will be fitting in at Paddington and into the complex network of senior management, many of whom are well-established in their individual fiefdoms, but if it goes to plan, she could transform M&S’s web offer and help Bolland fulfil his ambition of being a top online player. It could also propel Wade-Gery into pole position to become the next - and first female - chief executive of M&S.