Retail Power List 2008: 40-59

40 Tim Mason, chief executive, US, Tesco
2007 RANK: 89

Tim Mason may well have the toughest job at Tesco right now. The chief executive of the grocer’s fledgling Fresh & Easy convenience store is in the throes of fixing its juggernaut roll-out programme, which was halted for three months in March.

To write off Fresh & Easy after just 59 stores is bonkers, but Mason will no doubt be feeling the heat that has nothing to do with the Californian sunshine. For Mason, Tesco’s US launch could be a career-defining moment but, after more than 20 years at Tesco, he fully realises that launches often need refining, if not surgery, before their true colours show.

Once seen as a successor to Sir Terry Leahy, Mason, who likes to surf and play beach volleyball in Los Angeles, has committed himself to the US for the foreseeable future.

A big and determined character who is not short of self-confidence, Mason will leave no stone unturned to get Fresh & Easy in peak shape when the next wave of expansion begins this summer.

41 Alex Gourlay, managing director, Boots the Chemist
2007 RANK: N/A

The former Boots management team of Richard Baker and Scott Wheway used to hog the limelight, but their sudden departures in the wake of Stefano Pessina’s takeover of the company last summer left the way for other Boots stalwarts to rise to the top.

Foremost among them is Gourlay – a Boots man through and through. The hirsute Scotsman started at the retailer as a Saturday boy in 1976 and took over as managing director last year. He is the first pharmacist to sit on the company’s board for 20 years.

With almost 2,500 stores under his control, Gourlay has a huge task and one of his top priorities is rebadging the former Alliance Pharmacy stores under the Boots name. He is also experimenting with GP surgeries in stores and working Boots’ strong stable of brands harder.

Full results will be unveiled in June, but the indications to date are that Gourlay is proving successful in winning market share and building the business in a difficult climate. And, despite fears some had at the time of the takeover that the retail business might be neglected under the new owners, he has managed to keep it at the heart of what the company is doing.

42 Jane Shepherdson, chief executive, Whistles
2007 RANK: N/A

“I won’t put crap in shops,” said Shepherdson after being appointed Whistles chief executive. The move by the fashion stalwart, who re-enters the power list after a year’s absence, could herald the start of a womenswear revolution.

With Whistles, the likeable, no-nonsense Shepherdson – who is credited with turning Topshop into the darling of fast fashion – will be able to flex her retail muscle. Backed by Baugur, which has taken a controlling stake in the retailer, she bought a 20 per cent stake, valuing Whistles at£20 million.

Such is her pull, she managed to poach some former Topshop colleagues. Since leaving Topshop – famously, soon after Green hired Kate Moss to design a range for it – she has been linked to eco-department store venture Love Life Stories and has become a consultant for Oxfam. She will undoubtedly bring the languishing Whistles back to the attention of the sophisticated shopper.

43 Richard Kirk, chief executive, Peacock Group
2007 RANK: 56

Industry veteran Kirk, affectionately dubbed Captain Kirk by the late Richard Ratner, has ruled over an exciting year for the Peacock Group. However, some are asking how long he will be around, after Bahrain investment fund Arcapita’s approach for Peacocks before Christmas?

The potential sale or refinancing of the chain to the tune of£800 million is on hold because of the credit crunch, despite rumoured interest from five parties – including PAI and Cinven.

The transformation of the Peacocks brand to become a fashion-forward value player has been a huge success for Kirk, while mature womenswear brand Bonmarch頨as found its niche after what Kirk described as a “stonking” year. EBITDA more than doubled at Bonmarch頴o£19 million in the year to March 31 and Peacocks, which notched up EBITDA of£64 million during the period, has revived its international ambitions.

Kirk plans to double overseas store numbers to mirror plans to double UK outlets to 1,000.

44 Richard Brasher, commercial director, Tesco
2007 RANK: 50

Richard Brasher is a self-confessed foodie who is happy to wax lyrical about Tesco’s produce. He is also the man with his finger on the price button and has the power to escalate the price war between the big grocers and discounters. Brasher has delivered price cuts worth nearly£600 million since January to crank up the pressure on the grocer’s rivals.

Brasher was instrumental in Tesco launching its price-checker swingometer, borrowed from BBC psephologist Peter Snow. It was brought into stores last summer as the grocer fought back against rivals’ aggressive pricing strategy.

Arguably the biggest test of the talents of Brasher, who joined Tesco in 1986, is the retailer’s relentless delivery of like-for-like food sales growth in the UK. While Sainsbury’s likes to remind everyone of its 13 consecutive quarters of growth, most industry watchers have given up counting Tesco’s much longer tally.

45 Jim Hodkinson, chairman, Wyevale
2007 RANK: 45

It’s been a busy year for Jim Hodkinson, the former B&Q boss and New Look chief executive who successfully went plural a few years back.

Hodkinson has since slimmed down his portfolio to focus on Wyevale, the garden centre group backed by tycoon Sir Tom Hunter and Baugur. Garden centres remain one of the last bastions of retailing not controlled by big multiples, but plenty of the latter are interested in doing just that. Tesco’s surprise acquisition of AIM-listed tiddler Dobbies showed that it saw potential in the sector, which also appeals to DIY groups such as B&Q.

Last year’s bad weather and increasing competition prompted Hodkinson to become executive chairman of Wyevale, which he has bolstered with a string of acquisitions. He has driven a green agenda at the business through initiatives such as withdrawing patio heaters from sale and improved retailing disciplines.

Hodkinson is likely to play a central role in the consolidation among garden retailers.

46 Paul Sweetenham, president, TK Maxx
2007 RANK: N/A

Paul Sweetenham is the man who has overseen TK Maxx’s remarkable success in the UK, achieving a turnover of more than£1 billion and 230 stores.

With its focus on posh labels at low prices, the UK arm of US giant TJX has had a dramatic impact on the UK high street and struck fear into its rivals.

Sweetenham is well-connected in the fashion world and is close pals with a group of some of fashion’s most successful young guns, but, unlike the others, he prefers to keep out of the limelight.

2008 is poised to be a big year for the business in the UK, promising the arrival of its Canadian homewares format Homesense and the opening of TK Maxx’s first central London store, on Kensington High Street.

47 Stefano Sutter, UK managing director, Inditex
2007 RANK: N/A

Italian-born Sutter left his role as managing director of Inditex Canada to fly across the pond and fill the post vacated by Mike Shearwood until last summer.

Sutter has kept a relatively low profile since taking over the UK arm of the fashion giant, but the group is going from strength to strength. With strong performing brands, a new Zara store format, the impending launch of its Pull and Bear format in the UK and the launch of a transactional web site for Zara Home, all eyes will be on Sutter to see whether he can build on Inditex’s already sizeable strength.

48 Darren Blackhurst, food trading director, Asda
2007 RANK: N/A

When he is not strumming one of his six guitars, Darren Blackhurst is busy negotiating with Asda’s biggest food suppliers, developing its food offer and ensuring products are promoted as aggressively and efficiently as possible.

Since joining from Tesco in 2005, he has played a pivotal role in raising quality, while hammering home Asda’s value pricing strategy. He is known for pulling no punches in his conference speeches about the need for grocers and suppliers to collaborate more strongly to reduce the cost of their operations.

Speculation is mounting that he could step up to become chief executive Andy Bond’s number two as chief operating officer, following the exit of the highly rated David Cheesewright, who left to become the boss of Wal-Mart Canada in February. While Asda has said a decision has yet to be taken, Blackhurst has a critical part to play in helping the grocer fight off a resurgent Morrisons and the relentless Tesco over the next year.

49 Peter Marks, chief executive, Co-op
2007 RANK: N/A

An employee at the Co-op for about 40 years, Peter Marks occasionally laments the fact that, in the late 1960s, the Co-op was the Tesco of the UK grocery sector. While the Co-operative Group has little chance of catching up with Tesco in his lifetime, Marks has played a pivotal role in resurrecting the ambitions and trading fortunes of the Co-operative Group.

Marks became Co-operative Group chief executive last summer after helping complete the merger with United Co-operatives, where he held the same role.

Following the creation of the world’s largest consumer co-operative, with combined sales of£9.4 billion, Marks this year turned his attention to acquiring 900-store local grocery chain Somerfield. This month, Marks told Retail Week that discussions with Somerfield were ongoing, but he hoped to complete a deal by the end of the summer. Such a deal would make the Co-operative Group the UK’s fifth-largest grocer, with an 8 per cent share, and present Marks with his biggest challenge to date.

50 Carl Leaver, director of international business, Marks & Spencer
2007 RANK: N/A

Leaver only joined Marks & Spencer a year ago, but he has already made a big impact and is seen by some as the dark horse in the Sir Stuart Rose succession race.

As international director, he will be responsible for taking M&S to its target of generating 20 per cent of group revenues from overseas operations within five years. This year, he has already signed three deals. In February, M&S created a joint venture in Greece and the Balkans with local partner Marinopoulos and, last month, a similar arrangement was struck with Coms to do the same in Eastern Europe.

M&S also struck a deal with Indian giant Reliance last week. And there has been speculation that it will expand in China, creating the opportunity to win share in two big emerging markets.

Leaver is not on M&S’s main board, but may just leapfrog his rivals to become the next chief executive. Observers note that he is the only one among the contenders to have actually been a chief executive before – of hotel group De Vere, which he sold.

51 Chris Ronnie, chief executive, JJB Sports
2007 RANK: N/A

After JJB’s disappointing results last week, Ronnie might be heading to his old pal Mike Ashley to ask for advice. Full-year profits plummeted 72 per cent and, with numerical symmetry, the retailer announced plans to close 72 shops.

However, Ronnie, who took over from Tom Knight last year, is hopeful that greater investment in the stores and product will yield results for the business. With Ashley providing relentless competition in the sector, Ronnie’s mission remains a big ask.

52 Jamie Oliver, celebrity chef
2007 RANK: N/A

This celebrity chef’s ability to make shoppers sit up and listen is astounding. His TV programme showing the less-then-ideal farming conditions of battery chickens earlier this year sparked a nationwide shortage of free-range and organic varieties and his products mentioned in his recipes can mean shelves are stripped bare. Retailers might love him or loathe him, but they certainly can’t ignore him.

53 Stephen Sunnucks, european president, Gap
2007 RANK: 69

Gap continues to find the going tough in the UK. The fashion giant experienced a sales slide after Christmas, despite its first European-specific ranges hitting the shops.

But it’s been a big year for Sunnucks, as he oversaw the much-awaited arrival of the Banana Republic brand on UK turf. He is convinced that its affordable-luxury offer is perfectly matched to the UK shopper’s affinity with fashion.

54 Ian Grabiner, chief operating officer, Arcadia
2007 RANK: N/A

With brands including Topshop, Topman, Dorothy Perkins and Miss Selfridge directly under him, Grabiner oversees a noteworthy proportion of fashion brands on the UK high street.

Known for being almost as straight-talking as his boss, Grabiner is Sir Philip Green’s most trusted lieutenant. The pair have worked together for almost 20 years and Grabiner has been in his present role at Arcadia since Green bought in the business in 2002.

55 Sir Tom Hunter, founder, West Coast Capital
2007 RANK: 41

Prolific retail stakebuilder Sir Tom Hunter fought a well-publicised battle with Tesco last year, refusing to sell his 29 per cent stake in Dobbies when the supermarket giant took a 65 per cent controlling share.

However, reports earlier this month suggest the Scottish tycoon is reviewing his position and Tesco has made a fresh offer for the shares it doesn’t own. Hunter has problems elsewhere: his fashion chain USC made an operating loss of£8.8 million last year.

56 Steven Sharp, marketing director, Marks & Spencer
2007 RANK: 33

The Iggy Pop lookalike remains a key right-hand man of Sir Stuart Rose and his Your M&S campaign remains a model of retail marketing – last month it won the Advertising Campaign of the Year at the Retail Week Awards for the third year running.

Sharp’s revelation that he will stay on with Rose until 2011 will be vital in steering M&S through the tough times.

57 John Lovering, chairman, Debenhams and Somerfield
2007 RANK: 36

John Lovering’s companies continue to endure challenging times.

A serial deal-maker, he is a huge name in private equity, but Somerfield’s sale to the Co-operative Group will achieve less than hoped.

At Debenhams, Lovering and fellow directors still need to prove they can deliver value following its 2006 reflotation.

58 Terry Green, chief executive of clothing, Tesco
2007 RANK: 46

Tesco reportedly offered Green a£1 million pay rise to keep him when Marks & Spencer’s Sir Stuart Rose tried to poach his friend and former colleague last year.

The larger-than-life former Allders boss remains at Tesco as director of clothing, but is having to work increasingly hard to earn his£2.5 million salary.

Anecdotally the grocer is experiencing has a hard a slowdown as anyone in fashion right now, which may be why it reportedly wants to trim its UK clothing workforce of about 400 by 10 per cent to cut costs.

59 Harold Tillman, chairman, Jaeger
2007 RANK: 61

As a devoted fan of the perfectly cut suit, the impeccably presented Jaeger chairman looks every bit the fashion expert and entrepreneur.

And thus he was the perfect choice to replace Sir Stuart Rose as chairman of the British Fashion Council in January. Committed to supporting home-grown design talent, Tillman continues to maintain his influence in the fashion world.