Chief executive, New Look
It has not been an easy year for the affable McPhail, after New Look was forced to postpone its flotation earlier in the year. A change in market conditions was blamed for the change of plan, but the fashion retailer faced criticism over the way the float was going to be used to pay off expensive ‘payment in kind’ loan notes, and also the performance of its French business, Mim.
It has been tough on McPhail as most of the problems aren’t of his making, but he has managed an impressive raft of initiatives to develop the business since beating Paul Marchant (21) to the top job in 2008. He has moved New Look’s head office from Weymouth to London, where he opened a new flagship store on Oxford Street, as well as developing the business internationally and into product
areas where it is under-represented such as menswear and childrenswear.
The former Bhs, River Island and Selfridges man is a big Manchester United fan and his ambitions for New Look are definitely Premier League - to get the business on an international scale to rival such global giants as H&M. If McPhail can pull that off, he will definitely be climbing much higher on this list in the years to come.
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