Irene Kirkman has been elected president of Midcounties Co-op, taking over from Heather Richardson, who will continue to serve as one of the society’s two vice-presidents.
Kirkman joined the Midcounties board in 2016 and has served as vice-president since 2023. She spent her career in the education sector, initially as a teacher and then the civil service, as a senior manager in local government, higher education and central government.
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.
“I am honoured to take on the role of president at what is an exciting but challenging time,” Kirkman said. “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 18 months, and know that she will continue to make a strong contribution to our society as vice-president.”
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.
Phil Ponsonby, chief executive, said the board was “delighted that Irene will be able to bring her extensive experience and deep understanding of co-operative values to bear as our new president”.
He added: “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.”
Richardson said it had been “a privilege to serve as president of the society over the last 18 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, customers and communities.”
