Selfridges managing director Simon Forster has left after just over a year in the role.

The Sunday Telegraph reported that he left last week due to a loss of confidence in his leadership.

The department store stated that he left to “pursue other interests”, while the paper quoted insiders saying it was a mutual agreement after concerns were raised over the direction of Selfridges and its culture.

Forster’s predecessor Anne Pitcher will come in as interim managing director, combining her existing job managing Selfridges Group, the parent organisation which includes retailers Brown Thomas and Holt Renfrew.

She stated: “Under his leadership, the business has continued to grow and thrive… Selfridges has a talented leadership team in place, and we continue to build that across the company.”

The company’s most recent results showed a six per cent rise in sales to £1.85 billion for the financial year ending February 2019, while operating profits dropped marginally from £175 million to £170 million.

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