U.K. retailer Marks & Spencer has appointed Alan Stewart as its chief financial officer. Stewart will start at the end of October and has previously been finance director at WH Smiths.

Stewart succeeds Ian Dyson, 47, who moved after not getting the chief executive officer's role, which instead went to Marc Bolland, formerly of William Morrison Supermarkets.

Last month, M&S said it made a good start to 2010 reporting a 3.6 percent rise in first-quarter sales, but it remains cautious about outlook. At the end of May, M&S posted higher annual profits and sales, including the first rise in food sales since 2007.