M&S Digital Chief Resigns After £300M Cyberattack Impact

Marks & Spencer’s chief digital and technology officer, Rachel Higham, is stepping down months after a severe cyberattack disrupted the retailer's online operations and caused an estimated £300 million loss in operating profit for the 2025/26 financial year. The ransomware attack, claimed by the hacking group Scattered Spider, crippled M&S’s internet-based retail services, including online sales and click-and-collect, leading to significant financial and operational challenges. Higham, who joined M&S in mid-2024 as part of the retailer’s digital transformation efforts, is described as taking a career break rather than a conventional resignation, with the company acknowledging her steady leadership during a difficult period. M&S is not planning an immediate replacement for Higham; instead, operations director Sacha Berendji will assume responsibility for the digital and technology functions alongside his current duties. The company expects insurance and cost controls to help mitigate the financial impact of the cyberattack, although shares have fallen by 8.5% this year amid ongoing uncertainty. This leadership reshuffle also affects other senior reporting lines within the company as M&S continues to recover from the breach.