Jim Armitage: Charmer Rose is a good fit for the dentist's chair

Outlook Despite his ability to set the pacemakers aflutter of blue-rinsed ladies from the shires, Sir Stuart Rose's successes at Marks & Spencer always seemed fairly limited given the billions he invested.

One always suspected the operational force at the business in his early years in charge was actually Charles Wilson (see how M&S's revival waned and Booker made like Lazarus after he jumped ship to run the cash-and-carry group.)

But Mr Rose is, undoubtedly, a well-connected showman and supreme charmer: the perfect person to chat up investors and sell a flotation.

So private-equity firm Bridgepoint's move yesterday to slot him into the chair at the Oasis dentistry chain makes eminent sense. And as a wag here pointed out, as the chairman of Ocado too, he can persuade his punters to stock up on sweets at the online pick 'n' mix before whisking them off to Oasis to get their teeth fixed.