The Co-op Food chief executive officer Jo Whitfield has announced she will take four months off this year to support her teenage sons who are undergoing pivotal academic exams.
Whitfield is set to take her career break in May and group chief executive officer Steve Murrells will oversee day-to-day running of food operations across the 2,600 stores – including Nisa branches obtained in 2018.
“I always knew that this year would be a big year with my boys undertaking key exams. We decided, as a family, that in order to prepare for the inevitable pressure and emotional turmoil that would involve, that when the time came I would look to spend more time with them to ease the challenge,” Whitfield said.
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“I can take this time away reassured by the knowledge we have a strong food leadership team who will keep moving our Co-op forward, working with support and guidance from Steve Murrells, our Co-op CEO.”
Murrells added: “We will miss Jo and wish her and her family well over the coming months.”
Whitfield’s career at the Co-op began in 2016 as retail finance director, in 2017 she was placed in her current role.
Prior to the Co-op, she worked at Asda for eight years as vice president of George operations and vice president of Asda general merchandise, money and mobile.
The news comes as Murrells co-founded the diversity and equality mission for CEOs to sign a pledge to prioritise an inclusive workforce in 2022.
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