Selfridges & Co. has today announced that Simon Forster has decided to leave his role as Managing Director to pursue other interests. Anne Pitcher, Managing Director of Selfridges Group, will be stepping in as interim Managing Director of Selfridges & Co. alongside her current role while a successor is sought.

“I want to thank Simon for the significant contribution he has made to Selfridges & Co. over the years,” said Anne Pitcher, Managing Director of Selfridges Group. “Under his leadership, the business has continued to grow and thrive, and remains at the forefront of delivering exceptional luxury experiences to our customers, as well as digital transformation. Selfridges & Co. has a talented leadership team in place, and we continue to build that across the company.”

Selfridges has recently made significant investments to revamp its flagship Oxford Street store, having invested £300m over the past three years. This has led to the transformation of the store’s Duke Street entrance, the development of a new 60,000ft² Accessories Hall, and the opening of destination restaurant and bar Brasserie of Light. In 2019, Selfridges Oxford Street also became the only department store in the world to house a permanent cinema and skate bowl.

“Everyone here at Selfridges Group wants to wish Simon all the best in his future endeavours,” she added.

Anne Pitcher held the role of Managing Director at Selfridges and Co. for eight years before being promoted to her current role in January 2019. Anne has overseen a period of unprecedented commercial performance and growth, with sales reaching a record £1.85 billion at Selfridges & Co. in 2019.

During her time with the business, Selfridges has been voted Best Department Store in the World at the Global Department Store Summits in 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2018. In addition, Selfridges was winner of the World’s Best Sustainability Campaign by a Department Store Award at the summit in 2016, and World’s Best Department Store Campaign Award at the 2017 summit for its EveryBODY campaign.

Selfridges Group expects to make an announcement on the new Managing Director of Selfridges & Co. in the coming months.

As well as planning further investments in Selfridges’ physical and online presence, and a continued focus on innovation and delivering exceptional customer experiences, this year marks the start of a vital new decade in the race to secure a sustainable future. Selfridges intends to remain at the forefront in leading on this global challenge in 2020 and beyond.