What: M&S has appointed Morrisons’ Matt McLellan to lead loyalty as it strengthens Sparks and customer data-led growth.

Why it is important: This appointment reinforces M&S’s focus on loyalty, data, and personalisation as key drivers of customer retention and profitable growth.

Marks & Spencer has appointed Matt McLellan as director of loyalty as it continues to build initiatives including its Sparks programme. McLellan is currently Morrisons’ group customer data and marketing director, a role he took up a year ago, and brings experience from Asda, Tesco, and Dunnhumby.
At M&S, McLellan will report to Sharry Cramond, the retailer’s marketing director responsible for masterbrand, fashion, home, beauty, and loyalty. In an internal memo, Cramond said McLellan’s experience in using data and insights to put customers first would support long-term, profitable growth as M&S reinvests for growth. McLellan is expected to begin with a month-long store induction in the new year.
The appointment follows the departure of Jade Sharpe, the former head of loyalty who relaunched Sparks and has left to pursue consulting. Alex Kilborn, M&S’ head of loyalty operations, will lead the Sparks team until McLellan starts.

IADS Notes: M&S’s appointment of Matt McLellan to lead loyalty builds directly on the retailer’s recent Sparks overhaul, reported by Fashion Network in April 2026, which shifted the programme toward real-money rewards, a digital wallet, AI-driven personalisation, and partner benefits. The move also responds to wider pressure on UK retailers, as Fashion Network reported in November 2025 that shopper loyalty was weakening while consumers demanded clearer value and more personalised engagement. It fits M&S’s broader transformation agenda: the Financial Times reported in June 2026 that the retailer’s fashion repositioning was supported by digital expansion, store upgrades, collaborations, and Sparks, while Retail Week reported in September 2025 that strategic hires were being used to accelerate brand renewal and operational change. It also follows Fashion Network’s November 2025 coverage of M&S strengthening its board with senior cross-industry expertise to support its “Reshaping for Growth” strategy, reinforcing how leadership, data, and loyalty are becoming central to the retailer’s next phase of growth.

Marks & Spencer poaches Morrisons director to head loyalty