Director of Central Services Appointment, Southern Co-op
The Client
Southern Co-op is a long-established, independent retail co-operative with over 330 trading outlets across the south of England. Its portfolio spans convenience retail, a substantial Starbucks franchise operation, and a respected funeral, crematoria and bereavement services business. Founded in 1873 to serve local communities fairly and sustainably, Southern Co-op remains a purpose-led, member-owned organisation. Its mission, to trade successfully while contributing to a fairer society and a more sustainable world, shapes both day-to-day operations and long-term strategy.
With a diverse workforce and complex multi-site operations across fourteen counties, the organisation balances commercial performance with values-led governance, community impact and stringent regulatory requirements. Recent internal restructuring created an opportunity to strengthen leadership capacity in support functions critical to the Society’s resilience and future growth.
The Requirement
Following this restructuring, Southern Co-op identified the need for a Director of Central Services to join the Senior Leadership Team. This was a pivotal appointment. The role would take accountability for several high-impact, technical and risk-sensitive areas including IT infrastructure, central Customer Services, Facilities Management, Compliance, Health & Safety, Risk Management, Legal, Governance and procurement oversight.
The incoming leader needed to bring strategic perspective, commercial pragmatism and the ability to operate across a broad remit. Beyond technical competence, this was a role for someone who could influence at Board level, shape society-wide frameworks, and drive continuous improvement across shared service functions that underpin the organisation’s trading performance. With a significant P&L responsibility and stewardship of major operational budgets, this appointment required a leader comfortable navigating complexity, partnership working, and large-scale internal service delivery.
The Solution
Novo Executive spent extensive time with the CEO and senior stakeholders to understand the organisation’s governance structure, operational challenges and long-term ambitions. We designed a targeted search across retail, hospitality, regulated services and organisations operating large, distributed service estates.
The search approach focused on senior leaders with:
- Proven experience managing multi-disciplinary technical functions
- Strong commercial and procurement expertise
- A collaborative, values-aligned leadership style suited to a co-operative environment
- Comfort operating in lean, fast-moving settings with high accountability
- Credibility at Board level and experience in complex stakeholder landscapes
We carried out detailed assessment around strategic capability, risk mindset, operational discipline and cultural fit.
The Outcome
Southern Co-op successfully appointed a Director of Central Services who brought deep operational expertise and a highly pragmatic leadership style. They quickly established strong relationships across the Leadership Team, enabling clearer decision-making and more cohesive governance.
The appointment has strengthened Southern Co-op’s ability to scale critical services, enhance risk management, and improve resilience across its trading businesses. With improved oversight of infrastructure, customer services and compliance, the Society is now better positioned to deliver on its strategic plan while staying true to the values that have shaped it since 1873.
