Midcounties Board elects new President - Irene Kirkman

The Midcounties Co-operative has announced that Irene Kirkman has been elected as President of the Society. Irene takes on the role from Heather Richardson, who has stood down as President due to increasing work commitments.  Heather will continue to serve the Society as one of the two Vice-Presidents supporting Irene.

Irene was first elected to the Midcounties Co-operative Board in 2016 and has served as Vice-President since 2023.  Prior to joining the Board, she spent her career in the education sector initially as a teacher, and then as a senior manager in local government, higher education and in central government in the civil service.  In her last post as Head of Vocational Strategy at the Department of Education she was responsible for establishing and running inter-governmental boards to implement educational reforms.  She is also a governor at The Cherwell School in Oxford and served as an independent member of the University Council of Buckingham New University from 2016 - 2024.

Irene said “I am honoured to take on the role of President of the Society at what is an exciting but challenging time. Along with so many other organisations, we operate in a landscape of increasing costs and pressures on our customers and members. The role of a thriving co-operative is even more important in this environment and I look forward to continuing to work with the Board to represent our members and deliver on our purpose of creating a fairer, more sustainable, and ethical future.  On behalf of the Board I would also like to thank Heather for her work and support over the last eighteen months, and know that she will continue to make a strong contribution to our Society as Vice-President.”

Phil Ponsonby, Chief Executive, said: “Irene has been a long-standing member of the Board, and I know the Board is delighted that she will be able to bring her extensive  experience and deep understanding of co-operative values to bear as our new President.  I look forward to working closely with her in the coming months. I should also take the opportunity to thank Heather for her support to me while serving as President as we have taken the Society forward.”

Heather Richardson’s decision to stand down as President follows the recent merger of the Bromford and Flagship Housing Groups, where she serves as Chief Risk Officer.  Given the increased demands of this position she has made the decision to prioritise her existing role and pull back on her other commitments.

Heather said: “It has been a privilege to serve as President of the Society over the last eighteen months, but increasing work commitments mean I can no longer dedicate the time required to the role. I will continue to play an active role in the Society working closely with the Board and the management team to deliver for our members, our customers and our communities.”