Topshop hires former Marks&Spencer buying head to lead fashion department

Topshop underpins its c-suite amidst restructuring process. The British company, owned by the Arcadia group, has modified its management team with a new responsible for the fashion division.    

The company has signed Gillian Ridley Whittle, former buying and trading director of the department stores group Mark & ​​Spencer. The manager has a long career in the sector after having worked for companies such as Debenhams or Target Australia.    

A few months ago, Arcadia reached an agreement with its creditors to avoid  bankruptcy. The agreement entailed the cutting of a large part of the group’s workforce, as well as the closure of twenty-three stores in the United Kingdom and Ireland.    

Arcadia, that also owns Topman, ended last fiscal year with losses for the first time in seven years, with a negative net result of 138 million pounds (153.7 million euros), compared to the profit of 199 million pounds (221 million euros) of the previous year.