Ad chief ousted in M&S marketing cull

Marks & Spencer has axed external advertising manager Matthew Chambers after a restructure of its marketing department led by marketing director Alan McWalter.

Marks & Spencer has axed external advertising manager Matthew Chambers after a restructure of its marketing department led by marketing director Alan McWalter.

The company has denied the restructure will affect Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R and Walker Media’s tenure of the retail giant’s £25m creative and media accounts – but industry sources believe the business could soon be reviewed.

One source says: “Everything is being reviewed within the company, and this will undoubtedly include advertising. Whether M&S uses the same media and focuses on branding or products has yet to be seen.”

Under the new structure there will be a head of external marketing who will report to McWalter, but no head of external advertising, which effectively eliminates Chambers’ role.

A spokeswoman for M&S says Chambers has not been made redundant but is not being considered for the new role and is in discussions about his future.

M&S is expected to take three months to fill the head of external marketing and head of marketing planning and management roles.

Nick Penny will remain divisional director for strategic marketing, Bernard Fee will remain head of internal marketing, Steven Bond retains the post of head of customer insight unit and customer relationship marketing, and Carol Stockhill continues as head of events marketing.

The spokeswoman refused to release the names or positions of two senior M&S managers who are also understood to have lost their jobs. She says the company does not think it fair to make the information public.