Nick Folland (Senior Independent Member)

Nick joined M&S in 2018 as General Counsel and Company Secretary, his first priority being to create the Ocado Retail joint venture. He is also responsible for the organisation’s sustainability programme, Plan A.

Nick is a former Chief Executive of the Crown Prosecution Service. Whilst in this role, he was simultaneously responsible for a £300 million cross-government IT change programme, delivering fundamental reform of the criminal justice system.

Prior to that, Nick was Chief of Staff to the Chief Executive Officer and Chief External Affairs Officer of the Co-op, playing a pivotal role in saving the Co-op Bank and rescuing the group from its existential crisis in 2013 and then reforming the organisation’s governance.

Nick joined the Co-op from Kingfisher plc, a FTSE 100 international retailer, where he was a member of the retail board and held a number of executive positions over the period 2007 to 2013.

He led the development of the international sustainability strategy ‘Net Positive’ and was also responsible for the group’s Government Affairs and Regulatory programme.

Nick joined the HMPPS as a Non-Executive Member of the HMPPS Audit and Risk Assurance Committee in May 2021.

Nick has extensive governance experience, having been Group Legal Director, General Counsel and Company Secretary for FTSE 100 businesses for over 20 years, originally qualifying as a solicitor at Linklaters & Paines in 1993.

Last updated: 1 April 2022

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