Stuart Rose joins private equity group

Sir Stuart Rose is making a surprise move into private equity after agreeing to join Bridgepoint as an adviser. The outgoing chairman of Marks & Spencer is swapping the scrutiny of running a FTSE 100 company for a lower-profile role on Bridgepoint's European Advisory Committee. The move will see Rose provide guidance to the group's various assets, which include the Pret a Manger food chain, the Fat Face clothing brand, and art and craft retailer Hobbycraft. Analysts believe Rose could potentially chair one of Bridgepoint's investments in the future. Rose, who is due to leave M&S at the start of next year, said he was "greatly looking forward to working closely with the Bridgepoint team and providing consumer insight for their investments". Bridgepoint managing partner William Jackson said Rose was a great hire. "He's had a fantastic business career and has unparalleled experience in the retail world where Bridgepoint has made substantial investments over the years." David Buik, City commentator at BGC Partners, said Rose's appointment was a "shrewd hire". "It is good to know that Sir Stuart Rose will soon be in gainful employment with Bridgepoint, the private equity operators which major in retail," Buik added. During a long career in retail, Rose won a reputation of something of a showman. During M&S's annual shareholder meetings he would charm investors from the stage, and happily performed a skit with celebrity model Twiggy this summer. Rose had been tipped to take another job at a large company, and this move into private equity was not generally expected. However several other retail bosses have taken a similar path, including Richard Baker, the former chief executive of Boots, who is now a partner at Advent International . There has been speculation that David Cameron might tempt Rose with a government job , perhaps within trade, although the trade minister job has now been handed to HSBC chairman Stephen Green . Rose himself has hinted that he might front a new Troubleshooter-style business TV show, repeating Sir John Harvey-Jones's success in the early 1990s .