Red faces at Rightmove as Chief Financial Officer quits houses for homeware

Rightmove announced on 29th May that Alison Dolan had informed the Board of her intention to step down as CFO to pursue another opportunity at the FTSE 100 retailer, Marks & Spencer.

Alison Dolan and M&S logo

It’s nearly two weeks since Rightmove’s Alison Dolan (main pic) quit her top job as the portal’s finance chief to take on the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) role at Marks & Spencer Group (M&S) – famous for its ‘quality, great value food, clothing, and homeware’.

But it seems that move from helping to sell houses to homeware may have left some at Rightmove feeling a little red-faced.

OPPORTUNITY

Rightmove announced on May 29 that Dolan had informed the Board of her intention to step down as CFO to pursue another opportunity at the FTSE 100 retailer telling the City that she would remain in her current role while a “replacement was found and to ensure an effective transition of her responsibilities”.

Indeed, Dolan has a 12-month notice period and a date for her departure has yet to be agreed.

Johan Svanstrom, Rightmove
Johan Svanstrom, Chief Executive, Rightmove

Johan Svanstrom, Chief Executive of Rightmove, told investors: “I and the entire team at Rightmove would like to thank Alison for everything she has done at the Company.

“She has made a significant contribution to the success and leadership position of Rightmove, the UK’s largest property portal.”

Andrew Fisher, Chairman, Rightmove
Andrew Fisher, Chairman, Rightmove

However, not everybody at Rightmove was impressed – especially Chairman Andrew Fisher, who also happened to be a a long-serving M&S non-executive director.

Sky News reported that Fisher quit the retailers’ board after being ‘blindsided’ about the poaching of its new finance chief.

RED-FACED

Allegedly, Fisher only discovered late in the recruitment process that M&S intended to hire Dolan which sources say left him rather red-faced and forcing him to quit the firm on May 28. Dolan was announced the next day.

Fisher had served on the M&S board since December 2015, meaning he was approaching the nine-year term limit for independence under Britain’s corporate governance code.

He had been its senior independent director for several years and played a significant role in helping to turn around the fortunes of Britain’s best-known retailer.

According to Sky News he will step down this month and will not seek re-election to the M&S board at its annual shareholder meeting.

Rightmove declined to comment.


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