STRUGGLING department store Debenhams has reportedly launched a search for a new chief executive as restructuring expert Stefaan Vansteenkiste prepares to step down after less than a year.

Vansteenkiste is set to leave the role within months, after taking over in August, and headhunter Spencer Stuart has been brought in to find a replacement, Sky News reported.

The restructuring expert, a managing director at turnaround firm Alvarez & Marsal, was brought in as a temporary boss to oversee the company's rescue plan.

The firm's investors are seeking an experienced retail executive.

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