Marc Bolland
Marc Bolland | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 28, 1959 Apeldoorn, Netherlands |
| Occupation | Business executive |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Known for | CEO of Marks & Spencer, CEO of Morrisons |
Marc Bolland (born 28 March 1959) is a Dutch executive recognized for his tenure as CEO of both Marks & Spencer and the British supermarket chain Morrisons.
Early life
He obtained a bachelor's degree from Hotelschool The Hague and completed an MBA at the University of Groningen.
Heineken
Starting his professional journey in 1987 with Heineken International, Bolland held multiple international leadership positions across Africa and Central Europe. He joined Heineken’s board of directors in 2001 and was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2005. His contributions were instrumental in the global expansion and reinforcement of the Heineken brand.
Morrisons
In September 2006, Bolland assumed the role of CEO at Morrisons, which had merged with Safeway in 2004, creating a major UK retail entity employing 130,000 staff. Taking charge following a series of five profit warnings, he was charged with revitalizing the company. By 2008, Morrisons experienced notable improvements in both market share and profitability, leading to Bolland receiving The Times "Businessman of the Year" accolade. Under his guidance, Morrisons captured significant market share from its rivals.
Marks & Spencer
Bolland was announced as CEO of Marks & Spencer Group PLC in November 2009 and officially succeeded chairman and CEO Sir Stuart Rose in May 2010. He launched a strategy focused on transforming M&S into an international retailer with multi-channel capabilities. In 2010, the Evening Standard included him among "London's 1000 most influential people."
In September 2011, he introduced a revamped store format for M&S locations across the UK, targeting full implementation by mid-2013. That same year, M&S re-entered the French market after a ten-year absence and began developing a new digital platform that launched in February 2014.
Bolland was awarded an honorary doctorate by York St John University in 2011. He announced his retirement as CEO in January 2016, effective April that year, with Steve Rowe succeeding him.
Blackstone
In September 2016, Bolland joined Blackstone as Senior Managing Director and Head of European Portfolio Operations within its Private Equity division. In 2020, he was named Chairman of Blackstone Group International Partners (BGIP).
Founder of Charitable Innovations
Responding to the Croydon riots in 2012, Bolland founded Movement to Work, an initiative aimed at providing work placements for disadvantaged youth including those with disabilities, lacking education, or with criminal records. He established the charity’s governance framework and served as Chairman for five years. By late 2021, Movement to Work had arranged over 137,000 placements, with upwards of 75,000 participants securing permanent employment, apprenticeships, or returning to education.
As Vice President of UNICEF UK in 2016, Bolland visited refugee camps in Jordan during the Syria crisis to evaluate education provision. Subsequently, he developed a digital education model for refugee and underserved children in collaboration with UNICEF and Cambridge University. This project evolved into The Learning Passport, further enhanced through partnership with Microsoft. The platform has reached 1.5 million children and was recognized by Time Magazine as one of the top 100 innovations of 2021.
Other roles
- Deputy Chairman of the Royal Collection Trust (appointed 2016)
- Board Member at The Coca-Cola Company (2015–2024)
- Non-Executive Director at Exor (company)
- Non-Executive Director of IAG (International Airlines Group) from 2016 to 2020
- Chairperson of the Board at Polymateria (since 2020)
- Vice President of UNICEF UK (serving since 2010)