The Co-operative strips its board down to seven members in a bid to recover from £1.5bn capital hole scandal October 1, 2014 The Co-operative Group has cut down its board to seven members after agreeing to changes to the way it's governed following a mismanagement scandal that's plagued the group for over a year. Eleven directors have left the firm to create the new “transitional board” of seven members, with two more soon to join – [...]
Co-op Bank takes to ink in bid to win back consumers with tattoo ethics vow September 30, 2014 The Co-op Bank is launching a new series of adverts aimed at rebuilding its brand as an ethical lender, starting on TV tonight. Its reputation took a blow last year when it was bailed out by hedge fund investors. The Co-op Bank is thought to have been one of the losers of the seven-day current [...]
Co-operative Group hires City headhunters to find board members September 7, 2014 The Co-operative has kicked off its search for a new chair by appointing City headhunters Odgers Berndtson to grill potential applicants for the high profile role. The mutual, currently chaired by Co-op insider Ursula Lidbetter, is hunting for the first independent chairman in its 150-year history in the wake of radical governance reforms voted through [...]
Co-operative Group promises return to form after torrid time September 4, 2014 The Co-operative Group yesterday said it was poised to get the battered mutual back on track after returning to profit this year. The retail-to-funeral care provider said income for the six months ending 5 July was £116m, compared to a £1bn loss during the same period last year. The 150-year-old business also announced [...]
Co-operative Group is back in profit as it confirms Richard Pennycook as chief executive September 4, 2014 The troubled Co-operative Group has made interim chief executive Richard Pennycook will take on the role full-time. Pennycook was promoted from his position of chief financial officer in March after the surprise resignation of Euan Sutherland. His appointment is likely to give the group's investors – including the hedge fund owners of its banking arm [...]
Co-operative Group sells cash security arm Sunwin for £41.5m September 2, 2014 Alright, for a corporate deal it is hardly a princely sum – but the Co-operative Group has taken another step along the road to filling its £1.5bn capital hole by selling its Sunwin Services Group to Cardtronics for £41.5m The company, which transports and provides security for cash and has 1,500 workers and 14 regional [...]
Troubled Co-op Bank slashes pre-tax losses in the first half August 22, 2014 Are the Co-operative Bank's troubles finally over? After a dire 2013, the bank announced this morning it had cut pre-tax losses to £75.8m in the six months to the end of June. That's less than a tenth of last year's £844.6m. Last summer, the bank went into a period of crisis after it uncovered [...]
George Osborne accused of obstructing MPs over Co-op and Lloyds Bank deal August 20, 2014 George Osborne was accused of unreasonably withholding information on ministers’ meetings with Lloyds and Co-op bankers in a series of confrontational letters published yesterday. He was accused of obstructing MPs trying to work out whether the government pressured bank executives into their ill-fated deal. The chancellor claims ongoing probes prevent him from telling the Treasury [...]
Troubled Co-operative Group to shed board members in governance restructure August 8, 2014 The Co-operative Group has announced proposals to reform its governance structure, so that it is “qualified to lead an organisation” of its size. The proposals follow a consultation period with the group's members, and one of the key changes will be a reduction in the number of people on the group's board from 18 [...]
Co-operative Group sells off farming arm to Wellcome Trust for £249m August 4, 2014 The Co-operative Group continued offloading its non-core assets yesterday with the sale of nearly 16,000 hectares of British farmland, 15 farms and over 100 residential properties to health charity the Wellcome Trust for £249m. The sale comes just three weeks after The Co-op sold its 774-chain pharmacy business for £620m, as the group looks to [...]