Nationality British Children Two Name Belinda Earl | Years active 1985 – present Education Aberystwyth University Title Style Director Employer Marks & Spencer | |
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Alma mater The University of Wales, Aberystwyth | ||
Belinda Jane Earl OBE (born 20 December 1961) is a businesswoman and current style director of Marks and Spencer who in 2003 became the youngest FTSE 500 retail chief executive.
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Biography
She was born in the city of Plymouth, Devon, England and attended St Dunstan's Abbey School for Girls. She started working as a Saturday shop assistant in the menswear department of her local Debenhams at the age of 16, and managed a gift shop following successful sixth form studies, after which she was admitted to her degree course in economics and business at The University of Wales, Aberystwyth. After graduating in 1983 she turned down an offer to train with a firm of accountants to pursue her love of retail and fashion by working as a graduate trainee in the womenswear department of Harrods.
Debenhams
In 1985 she left Harrods to become a menswear merchandiser at Debenhams. She took on a number of incrementally senior positions within Debenhams before being appointed a company director in 1991. She was appointed trading director and joined the board in 1997. She held responsibilities including Womenswear, accessories, lingerie, and designers. After Terry Green resigned in 2000, she was appointed by shareholders Chief Executive of Debenhams. During her administration the company did well despite an unfavourable economic climate. She became the first chief executive of a London Stock Exchange-listed company to take maternity leave with the birth of her second son in 2001. Her planned six weeks' absence made headlines of some national newspapers as a relatively long time for a chief executive to take off work. She was successfully re-elected at annual general meetings up to and including 2003.
She left Debenhams in 2003. Her failure that October to secure a buyout of Debenhams by Permira prompted her departure (Debenhams was eventually bought for £1.7 billion by a rival private consortium).
Jaeger
Harold Tillman, a retail entrepreneur, had bought Jaeger in 2002 and had inherited a brand in decline. Earl was initially approached in 2004 and was eventually persuaded to become Chief Executive. Jaeger became a profitable business, growing sales both in retail and online, developed the lines of Jaeger London, Boutique by Jaeger and Jaeger Black as well as expanding internationally during her tenure. She left the business in 2011.
Marks and Spencer
Belinda joined M&S as Style Director in September 2012.
She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2017 Birthday Honours for services to retail.
Educational commitments
Earl is a patron of Skillsmart, a retail sector skills council, a fellow of the City & Guilds Institute, and a fellow of the University of Wales.
Personal life
Earl lives in Surrey with her husband David, a lawyer, and two sons.