Clarendon Fine Art MD: Make use of reverse mentoring

Beth Butterwick is the managing director of Clarendon Fine Art. She has made the transition from high street fashion to high street art. As managing director of Clarendon, she is responsible for nearly 90 high street art galleries across the UK. Mentoring, including reverse mentoring, is one of the key things that has helped her make the switch, she says.

Butterwick became managing director of Clarendon Fine Art in 2023, teaming up with the original founder and CEO Helen Swaby. Its mission is to "democratise art", making it more accessible and affordable. Traditional fine art galleries often sell very expensive paintings and can feel socially exclusive.

Butterwick's background is in fashion retail. She started out as a graduate trainee at Marks & Spencer in the early 1990s and remained there for nearly two decades, witnessing the British institution's rise and fall from grace.

After senior leadership roles at Gap and MS Mode, she would go on to be CEO at high street favourites Bonmarché, Karen Millen and Jigsaw.

There are many transferable skills that have helped her move between the worlds of fashion and art, says Butterwick.

A keen interest in your core customers and their retail experience is one, but another is the way you appreciate the people within your organisation. She is currently being reverse mentored by a younger employee who is an expert on augmented reality and artificial intelligence, she explains.

Technology is one of the ways Clarendon wants to reach gen-Z audiences and continue its mission to bring art to a wider audience, so Butterwick is interested in it.

"As an established business leader, it's so easy to think that you have all the skill sets," says Butterwick.

"I think as a leader you've got to be really open to allow other people, especially younger people, to coach you and educate you, so you become an even more rounded leader."