M&S Technology Chief Quits Less Than a Year After Cyber Attack

M&S CTO Josie Smith resigns amid cyber attack fallout; Darren Gibson to take over as company struggles with sales impact.

By Content Team

Jan 22, 2026

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Marks & Spencer's chief technology officer Josie Smith is stepping down just 18 months after joining the company, following a devastating cyber attack last year. Her departure comes four months after chief digital and technology officer Rachel Higham also left the retailer.

The April cyber attack by hacker group Scattered Spider cost M&S hundreds of millions of pounds and shut down online operations for weeks. The company still blames lingering effects from the breach for recent drops in Christmas clothing sales.

Smith, previously at BT Group and Vodafone, will be replaced by Darren Gibson. Chief product officer Krista Nordlund is also leaving in July.

Source: Sky News

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