Co-op CEO had no understanding of the job

WITH reference to the report of the resignation of the former CEO of the Co-operative Group (The Yorkshire Post, March 13). It has to be said that Euan Sutherland’s departure is welcome news.

He appears to have had no grasp of the co-operative model of business and tried to introduce plc practices, including obscene pay increases for top executives and himself while thousands of staff in stores across the country exist on a minimum wage and not even a living wage.

It is well established that co-ops across the globe and throughout history have been successful in business but 
it is clear that Euan Sutherland 
is unaware of this reality and 
is of the view that businesses owned by members are by 
their very nature “ungovernable”.

His feeble rant against directors of the Co-op Group who do not accept his view that modernisation has to take the plc route is unworthy and to throw in the towel after less than a year suggests a lack of bottle and of business leadership on Mr Sutherland’s part.

The worst crisis in the history of the co-operative movement is not a failure of the co-operative model of business but one of governance.