Next has announced a series of board changes, with long-serving executive director Jane Shields set to retire in May 2026 after 40 years with the business, stepping down from the board on 21st May.

Matt Barnes will be promoted to group sales and marketing director, taking responsibility for areas including e-commerce, brand marketing and retail operations, though he will not join the board at this stage.

Senior independent director and audit committee chair Jonathan Bewes will also retire in May 2026, ending nine years on the board.

Annette Court and Jeni Mundy will join as independent non-executive directors in March and April 2026 respectively, with Court becoming senior independent director and Soumen Das appointed audit committee chair from May.