Bob Burlton

Bob Burlton "was appointed Chief Executive of Oxford & Swindon Co-operative Society in 1987, at a time when the Society was experiencing severe difficulties. Following the successful turnaround of the Society, it absorbed Gloucester & Severnside Society in October 1991 and merged with West Midlands Co-operative Society in 2005 to form the Midcounties Co-operative. Bob retired as Chief Executive of the Midcounties Co-operative in 2006. He has been a director of The Co-operative Group (CWS) since 1992 and was elected Board Chair in 2004. He retired from this role in 2007 having overseen its merger with United Co-operatives, which created the largest consumer co-operative in the world. Bob was formerly chair of Co-operativesUK, the apex body of co-operative societies in the UK, and a member of the Board of the Co-operative College. He was elected a director of The Co-operative Bank in 1993 and is now Chair of Co-operative Financial Services, which is responsible for the banking and insurance arms of the Co-operative Group.

"Bob was elected as President of the Co-operative Congress, the annual conference of the UK consumer movement, for 1999 and was a leading member of the Corporate Governance working party that was responsible for the production of the 1994 Corporate Governance Code of Best Practice. Bob was also one of twelve members of the Co-operative Commission that was established with the support of the Prime Minister, Tony Blair. Its report was published in February 2001, and is providing the basis of the continuing co-operative renaissance in the UK."

• Director, Ethical Property Company
• Former Chair, Co-operative Financial Services