Ex-Post Office boss Vennells quits roles at leading retailers

By Liz Wells in Industry News 26th April 2021

Former Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells has stepped down from boardroom positions at retailers Morrisons and Dunelm, as well as her role as a Church of England minister.

The move comes after 39 subpostmasters had their wrongful convictions for theft, fraud and false accounting overturned on Friday (23 April) by the Court of Appeal.

Vennells was in charge at the Post Office between 2012 and 2019, when reports of multiple faults with IT system Horizon were not properly investigated, as a result, postmasters were convicted of stealing money, with some imprisoned.

Morrisons and homeware retailer Dunelm confirmed that Vennells was to leave as a director of their boards immediately.

Vennells also revealed, on Sunday (25 April), that she would be stepping back from her duties as an associate Church of England minister in Bromham, Oakley and Stagsden, in Bedfordshire.

In a statement, Vennells said she was “truly sorry” for the suffering caused to sub-postmasters, and committed to cooperating with an ongoing government inquiry.

The Communication Workers Union has called for Vennells to be stripped of her CBE.