Kate Allum was CEO of First Milk from 2010 to 2015. She has held several non-executive director roles, and was elected a member-nominated director of the UK’s Co-op Group in 2021. She was appointed interim CEO on 30 March.
How did you first hear about co-operatives?
I was very close to my godfather, who was a great supporter of the co-operative movement, so I was introduced to co-ops at a very early age. He (Roger Sawtell) was awarded the inaugural Co-ops UK Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019, which was presented to him by Nick Matthews, the then chair of Co-operatives UK. Throughout my career, Roger continued to influence me and sometimes cajole me into thinking in a co-operative way.
What does a typical day look like for you?
No two days are the same, and that’s one of the things I enjoy most about the role. I spend a lot of time interacting with our colleagues, and I never cease to be impressed by their commitment to our Co-op. Seeing that firsthand gives me real confidence in our future.
I have two beautiful border collies, and my favourite way to wind down is when we go out into the mountains (I live in the Cairngorms) to live and breathe the beautiful environment we live in. When we can, my husband joins too.
How did you get involved in the Co-op Group?
I was appointed CEO of First Milk, an agri co-op, and during that time I also formed a joint venture with Fonterra – another agri co-op, and the dynamic fascinated me.
So when the opportunity came up in 2021, I stood for election as a member-nominated director for Co-op as I wanted to continue that co-operative journey. That experience has shaped how I approach leadership, and it’s a big part of what I bring to the interim CEO role today.
What are your plans for the next few months as interim CEO?
2025 was a tough year for us for a number of reasons, so the next few months for me are about providing continuity, focus and momentum, whilst reinforcing belief across the organisation.
We have all the building blocks to be successful, and my role is to help the business keep delivering while the process to appoint a permanent CEO continues.
What is your impression of the strength of the UK’s co-op retail sector?
Retail is a really challenging environment at the moment, and that’s unlikely to change in the near future. Events like Co-operatives UK’s Co-op Retail Conference are valuable because they bring people together to share experiences and learn from each other at a time when collaboration really matters.
We can’t influence many of the macro factors facing retail, but we can plough our own path to make sure we are robust and resilient commercially. That in turn gives us the opportunity to play a bigger role in addressing the social issues that matter in our communities. That balance between commercial strength and social impact is one of the real strengths of the co-operative sector.
The world is in a challenging place right now – how is Co-op supporting its members, customers and colleagues?
We have a cross-functional team monitoring the impact of all global events and how these could affect our business and our independent society member (ISM) partners. We’re very aware of where risks may emerge and how and when we need to mitigate them, and we’ll continue to do so.
We’ve come through significant challenges in recent years, and that experience has strengthened our ability to plan, adapt and support our members and customers.
Being a co-operative shapes everything about how we approach this period. Our starting point is always to listen carefully to members and colleagues, to be fair in our decisions, and to act in a way that reflects our values. Supporting people through uncertainty isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s fundamental to who we are as a co-op.
There have also been some challenges specific to Co-op (accusations of toxic management, frustration at the removal of the retired employee discount after five years etc). How are you approaching this?
I am very conscious that concerns like these matter deeply to people. My approach is to listen openly, understand what is driving those concerns, and make sure we learn from them. We won’t always get everything right, but being honest, respectful and focused on doing better is essential to rebuilding trust and confidence.
You recently announced a potential merger with Southern Co-op – what are the greatest opportunities here?
At its heart, this proposal is about creating greater scale and resilience for a co-operative business that can deliver even more for members, customers, colleagues and communities. There is a real opportunity to strengthen the co-operative model, share expertise and create long-term value, while staying true to our shared principles.
What are your hopes for the organisation for the next decade?
Over the next decade, I hope that we will become a dominant force in using our commercial success to increasingly influence social issues. I am a realist but also an optimist and one of my core values is to always believe that we can make it happen if we align around taking care of our communities and our environment while building a strong, sustainable business for the long term.
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