M&S Head of Loyalty Jade Sharpe discusses launch of new look Sparks programme as she leaves UK retail giant
Jade Sharpe has announced her departure from Marks & Spencer where she spent the past three years, serving as Head of Loyalty. Next up is the launch of her own consulting company.
In a LinkedIn post, Sharpe, whose CV also includes stints at Boston Consulting Group and KPMG, said: "Today (31st July) is my last day at M&S. My family and I are heading home to Guernsey for a new chapter, but leaving M&S is incredibly hard. After all, this is ‘not just any job’."
"Growing up in Guernsey, I loved retail (well… shopping!). Every year, Mum and I would make one annual trip to London and spend the whole day in M&S Marble Arch. I could never have imagined that one day I’d have the privilege of leading the Loyalty team at this iconic brand - or that I’d find myself launching the new Sparks from Marble Arch itself, proudly sending Mum a photo because it felt like a full circle moment."
She added: "Leading the transformation of Sparks has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. Seeing millions of customers embrace the new Sparks made all the hard work worthwhile. To every member of the Sparks team - thank you. You embraced an ambitious transformation, always putting customers first while challenging and supporting each other. Together, we made Sparks more rewarding, more engaging and more personal. We kept listening, learning and improving. I’m proud of what we achieved, but even prouder of how we achieved it. Helping build this team, and watching it become the team it is today, has been a joy. There’s so much more to do though, and I can’t wait to see where you take it next."
Sharpe concluded: “Thank you to everyone across M&S who has been part of my journey. Your passion, resilience and commitment to customers is what makes this business so special. Thank you, M&S, for the opportunities, the friendships, the trust and the memories. I’ll be cheering you on from across the water. For now, I’m looking forward to a few weeks on the beaches of Guernsey with my family. After that, I’ll be launching Sharpe Consulting, helping organisations navigate customer, loyalty and transformation challenges. I’m excited to see what comes next - and I hope our paths cross again. À la perchoine - until next time.”
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Loyalty programmes will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
