All change at the top for Burberry bosses

Stacey Cartwright, CFO since 2004, is to step down to pursue other interests and will be replaced by Burberry insider Carol Fairweather, the company said.

Ms Fairweather, who will take over from July, has been with the fashion group for six years. She previously worked at News International.

At the same time, Burberry said it was creating a new COO role “to support the next phase of growth”.

That job will be filled by John Smith, another former media executive. Mr Smith was most recently chief executive of BBC Worldwide, which sells content made by the licence fee-funded broadcaster to other countries.

Mr Smith will focus on driving the retailer’s presence in digital media and mobile technology, it said, as well as looking to save costs and reallocate resources.

Burberry shocked investors in September when it warned of a slowdown in spending, especially in the key luxury goods markets of Asia.

But subsequent statements have been more positive, with Christmas sales beating expectations.

Angela Ahrendts, chief executive, told the Yorkshire Post in November that the group will continue to invest in its operations in Yorkshire where it produces its heritage trenchcoat.

Burberry makes the trenchcoats at a red-brick factory in Castleford employing 600 people.