Marks & Spencer’s former clothing boss is heading to Australia in January to become chief executive of department store David Jones.
John Dixon, who left in July after nearly 30 years at the business, takes over from Iain Nairn, who resigned for personal reasons after 14 months in the job.
Dixon, whose father also worked at M&S, said: “I’m very excited to be taking on this role as CEO of David Jones. It’s a substantial business in its own right and lies at the heart of Australian society … I’m thoroughly looking forward to the challenge and my family and I are looking forward to living in Sydney. It’s a perfect fit for me.”
Dixon came to prominence at M&S after he caught the eye of Stuart Rose, the former chief executive, and became his executive assistant in 2004. He was promoted to M&S’s board as director of food five years later. After leading a successful turnaround of the food operations he moved to general merchandise.
His surprise departure came amid speculation that he had become frustrated with M&S after Steve Rowe, an internal rival, replaced him as the man viewed as most likely succeed Marc Bolland as chief executive. Rowe has since taken over Dixon’s job as head of clothing and homewares. There have been persistent rumours that Bolland is preparing to depart soon.
Ian Moir, chief executive of David Jones’s South African parent company, Woolworths Holdings, said: “John is a world-class retailer who brings with him a powerful combination of international food and fashion expertise supported by large scale retail systems and management experience.
“We have known John for many years through our close relationship with M&S and know him to be an inspiring and resilient leader who has traded successfully through the most difficult and competitive of conditions in the UK.”
His appointment is thought to be linked to David Jones’s plans to launch an upmarket food business.
Dixon joins a string of UK retail executives who have moved to Australia. Archie Norman kicked off the turnaround of Coles, the Australian supermarket business, where he brought in former Asda and Halfords executive Ian McLeod as managing director.
McLeod moved up to join the board of Coles’s parent company, Wesfarmers, before leaving to join the US supermarket chain Bi-Lo in January.
Former New Look, Littlewoods and Matalan boss Alistair McGeorge was hired to lead the Big W department store chain, but departed last month after less than a year in the role.
