Mark Price has been named as the new managing director of Waitrose following Steven Esom's shock defection to M&S this week.

Price joined Waitrose parent company the John Lewis Partnership in 1982. He has held several key roles at Waitrose, including marketing director, and most recently, director of selling and marketing.

Prior to that he held senior roles at John Lewis, including managing director of the High Wycombe and Cheadle department stores. Price will start his new role, which centres around a store opening programme, on Monday.

"Mark has had an outstanding career in the Partnership," said the John Lewis Partnership chairman Charlie Mayfield. "He has played a key part in Waitrose's success and has been the architect of many of our plans for future growth. It is appropriate that he now has the opportunity to implement those plans as Waitrose's managing director."

Mayfield thanked Esom for his 11-year contribution to Waitrose and wished him well with his career at M&S, where he has landed the role of director of food.

Esom's was just one of a series of new appointments at M&S this week as chief executive Stuart Rose concluded a management shake-up. Carl Leaver, the former CEO of the De Vere Group, is set to join as director of international business in May.

Current director of food Guy Farrant has been promoted to director of retail and outlets. And Kate Bostock, director of womenswear and girlswear, has been given responsibility for lingerie.

Stuart Rose will continue to manage the trading functions of the business and add international to his direct reports. "We're bringing new talent into M&S to work alongside our existing senior team," he said.

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