Job Title : Director of IT and logistics

Organization : Marks & Spencer

Darrell Stein has a track record of delivering major IT and business change programmes. During his time with M&S, Stein has expounded the philosophy of ‘more for less’ – helping to reduce the firm’s IT running costs and freeing up cash to fund large-scale business transformation projects.

His work at the retailer includes improving customer feedback systems, helping M&S to achieve 75 per cent growth in ecommerce and cutting the chain’s procurement spending by a quarter by rolling out SAP software in the finance department.

Stein’s influence does not only burn brightly in the tech department. His IT practices and operational processes are being adopted across the rest of the business, from financial controls to succession planning and team communications.

Stein took over as director of IT in 2006, marking a return to the company where he began his career in IT in 1990.

His career has seen him take charge of numerous major technology programmes, working on data warehousing and financial systems for Mars and leading a number of major IT and change programmes in the financial services, retail and utility sectors while working for Ernst & Young.

Prior to joining M&S, Stein worked for Vodafone, becoming UK IT director for the mobile operator in 2004.

This is Stein’s fourth appearance in the silicon.com CIO50 – he also made the list in 2007, 2009 and 2010.