Harrods promotes retail director to chief retail officer

British department store Harrods has named Mark Blundell as chief retail officer. The appointment reflects a promotion for Blundell, who had been serving as the company’s retail director since 2022.

Blundell had first joined Harrods in 2018 as head of retail, after serving in a number of leadership roles at John Lewis Partnership and Waitrose. In his new position, in which he will also join the management executive committee, Blundell will oversee the service and standards of Harrods’ customer experience across all of its physical retail channels.

In a statement, the retailer’s managing director, Michael Ward, said: "Mark is a dynamic leader with a proven track record in managing teams to deliver outstanding customer experiences and strong commercial results. His strategic leadership will support the ongoing development of our high-performance culture and continuing evolution of Harrods as the leading luxury authority.”

Blundell’s appointment comes on the heels of Harrods naming Sarah Myler chief brand and reputation officer. Myler had also joined the company in 2018 as director, and had been leading the retailer’s international business development and communications.