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| name = Paula Vennells
| honorific_suffix =
| image = Paula Vennells
| caption = Vennells in 2016
| birth_name = Paula Anne Vennells
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1959|2|21}}
| birth_place = [[Denton, Greater Manchester|Denton]], [[Lancashire]], England
| death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|df=yes|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (DEATH date then BIRTH date) -->
| death_place =
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| occupation = {{Plainlist|
* [[Businessperson]]
* [[Anglican
| known_for = [[British Post Office scandal|Post Office scandal]]
| spouse = {{marriage|John Wilson|1994}}
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}}
'''Paula Anne Vennells''' (born 21 February 1959) is a British former businesswoman who was the [[chief executive officer]] (CEO) of [[Post Office Limited]] from 2012 to 2019, years which saw the continuing prosecution of innocent [[Sub-postmaster|subpostmasters]] and a very costly and unsuccessful attempt to defend a [[Class action|group action]]. She is also an ordained [[Anglican priest]] who voluntarily ceased her clerical duties in 2021.
Vennells was the CEO of Post Office Limited during the latter part of the [[British Post Office scandal]], in which more than 900 subpostmasters were wrongly convicted, between 1999 and 2015, of [[theft]], [[false accounting]] and [[fraud]] because of apparent shortfalls at their branches, due to flaws in the Horizon accounting software used by the Post Office. Many more
In 2019 she became the chair of the [[Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust]], but left the role the following year. In 2021, after the convictions of 39 subpostmasters were quashed, she resigned from her
==Early life and education==
Born on 21 February 1959 as Paula Anne Vennells,<ref name="Crockford"/><ref>{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date=2018-12-28 |title=New Year honours in the Anglia region |url=https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2018-12-28/new-year-honours-in-the-anglia-region |work=[[ITV News]] |access-date=2024-04-10}}</ref> she was born and grew up in [[Denton, Greater Manchester|Denton]], [[Lancashire]].<ref name=Manchester>{{cite web|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/greater-denton-childhood-mr-bates-29228321|title=From Greater Manchester childhood to Mr Bates - real life of Post Office scandal's Paula Vennells|date=25 May 2024|work=[[Manchester Evening News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/post-office-horizon-scandal-inquiry-who-paula-vennells-b1130951.html|title=Who is Paula Vennells? Ex-Post Office boss faces inquiry|date=22 May 2024|work=[[Evening Standard]]}}</ref><ref name="salvation">{{cite news |last1=Shah |first1=Oliver |title=Part time curate ordained to deliver salvation for Post Office |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/part-time-curate-ordained-to-deliver-salvation-for-post-office-06k6l9h8w8w |access-date=15 January 2019 |work=[[The Sunday Times]] |date=17 August 2014 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> Her father was an industrial chemist and academic, her mother a great-granddaughter of [[James Watts (Mayor of Manchester)|Sir James Watts]] of [[Abney Hall]], mayor of Manchester in the 1850s and grandfather of [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative party]] member of Parliament [[James Watts (British politician)|James Watts]].<ref
==Career==
Vennells began her career as a graduate trainee at [[Unilever]] in 1981, and went on to work for [[L'Oréal]], [[Lunn Poly]], [[Dixons Retail]], [[Argos (retailer)|Argos]], and [[Whitbread]].<ref name="salvation" /><ref name="Monday">{{cite news |last1=Armitstead |first1=Louise |title=Monday interview: Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/supportservices/10504315/Monday-interview-Post-Office-chief-executive-Paula-Vennells.html |access-date=15 January 2019 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] |date=8 December 2013 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> In 2007 she joined [[Post Office Limited]] as group network director.<ref name="Faith">{{cite web |last=Higginson |first=Richard |title=Paula Vennells: a profile |url=https://www.faith-in-business.org/2016/09/paula-vennells-profile/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011095144/https://www.faith-in-business.org/2016/09/paula-vennells-profile/ |archive-date=11 October 2017 |website=Faith in Business |access-date=15 January 2019}}</ref> On 1 April 2012, she became
During her time as CEO, the Post Office went from losing £120 million in 2012/13 to reporting a profit of £35 million in 2017/18.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ballard |first=Oli |date=19 February 2019 |title=Post Office CEO leaves role |url=https://www.businessleader.co.uk/post-office-ceo-leaves-role/ |work=Business Leader}}</ref> The liabilities now known to have accrued over that period due to the Horizon scandal, however, were estimated in early 2024 to be £160 million in compensation and £298 million in ongoing legal fees already paid,<ref>{{cite news |last=Francis |first=Alannah |date=2024-03-04 |title=How much has the Post Office spent on legal fees as victims await compensation? |url=https://inews.co.uk/news/post-office-legal-fees-compensation-2938191 |work=[[i (newspaper)|inews.co.uk]] |access-date=2024-04-10}}</ref> and £1 billion of taxpayer money set aside for future compensation.<ref>{{cite news |editor-last=Maidment |editor-first=Jack |date=2024-01-12 |title=£1bn of taxpayer money set aside for Post Office scandal compensation |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/01/11/rishi-sunak-latest-post-office-rwanda/ |work=[[ In her role leading the Post Office, Vennells earned a total of £5.1m, peaking in 2018 when she received £718,300 in salary, bonuses, pensions and other benefits.<ref name="bbc"/> In 2016 Vennells was appointed as a non-executive director of supermarket chain [[Morrisons]], in addition to her position at the Post Office.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2021/04/morrisons-non-executive-director-quits-over-justice-scandal/|title=Morrisons non-executive director quits over justice scandal|date=26 April 2021|work=Retail Gazette}}</ref>
In February 2019 it was announced that she would step down from her Post Office role, and that month she was appointed as a non-executive board member at the [[Cabinet Office]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/people/paula-vennells |title=Paula Vennells CBE |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website=[[gov.uk]] |publisher= |access-date=2024-01-11 }}</ref> In April that year she took over as the chair of [[Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust]]; she resigned from this role in 2021.<ref name="Cabinet">{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/three-new-cabinet-office-non-executive-board-members-announced |title=Press release: Three new Cabinet Office Non-Executive Board Members announced |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2019-02-07 |website=[[gov.uk]] |access-date=2024-01-04}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=2020-12-03 |title=Trust chair to step down next April |url=https://www.imperial.nhs.uk/about-us/news/trust-chair-to-step-down-next-april |access-date=2024-01-08 |website=www.imperial.nhs.uk}}</ref>
=== Ordination ===
From 2002 to 2005, Vennells trained for [[holy orders]] on the [[St Albans and Oxford Ministry Course]].<ref name="Crockford" /> She was [[ordained]] in the [[Church of England]] as a [[Deacon#Anglicanism|deacon]] in 2005 and as a [[Priest#Anglican or Episcopalian|priest]] in 2006.<ref name="Crockford" /> She has served as a [[non-stipendiary minister]] at the [[Church of St Owen, Bromham]] in the [[Diocese of St Albans]].<ref name="Crockford" /><ref>{{cite web |title=The Benefice Ministerial Team |url=http://www.bromhambenefice.org/ |website=Bromham Benefice |access-date=15 January 2019}}</ref> On 10 January 2024, [[BBC News]] reported sources told them that, around 2017 when [[Richard Chartres]]'s tenure as [[Bishop of London]] was drawing to a close, Vennells had been interviewed for the post and reached the final shortlist of three.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67923190 |title=Paula Vennells: Ex-Post Office boss was shortlisted to be Bishop of London |date=9 January 2024 |last1=Zeffman |first1=Henry |last2=Farley |first2=Harry |work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=10 January 2024}}</ref> She relinquished her clerical duties in 2021, but remains an ordained priest.<ref>{{cite news |last1= Witherow|first1=Tom |last2=Burgess |first2= Kaya|last3=Allegretti |first3=Aubrey|title=MPs push for emergency law to quash postmaster convictions |url= https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/paula-vennells-hands-back-cbe-post-office-horizon-bd75kvk8f |work=[[The Times]] |date= 10 January 2024|accessdate=12 January 2024|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
===Post Office scandal===
{{main|British Post Office scandal}}
Vennells was the CEO of Post Office Ltd during the latter part of the Post Office scandal, which involved more than 900 [[Sub-postmaster|subpostmasters]] being wrongly convicted of [[theft]], [[false accounting]] and [[fraud]] between 1999 and 2015 because of shortfalls at their branches that were in fact errors of the Horizon accounting software used by the Post Office
Acting as a [[private prosecutor]], the Post Office repeatedly failed to make full disclosure of known Horizon problems either to defendants or to the courts in hundreds of cases. According to the [[Criminal Cases Review Commission]] the nondisclosure is "the most widespread miscarriage of justice the CCRC has ever seen and represents the biggest single series of wrongful convictions in British legal history".<ref>{{cite web |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=3 January 2024 |title=The CCRC and Post Office/ Horizon cases |url=https://ccrc.gov.uk/news/the-ccrc-and-post-office-horizon-cases/ |access-date=7 January 2024 |website=ccrc.gov.uk |publisher=Criminal Cases Review Commission |quote=}}</ref>
In ''[[Bates & Others v Post Office Ltd]]'', a group action brought by 555 subpostmasters against the Post Office, the presiding judge, [[Peter Fraser (judge)|Mr Justice Fraser]] described the Post Office's approach to the case as "institutional obstinacy". Vennells subsequently issued a statement, saying: "It was and remains a source of great regret to me that these colleagues and their families were affected over so many years. I am truly sorry we were unable to find both a solution and a resolution outside of litigation and for the distress this caused."<ref name="Glass">{{cite news |last=Glass |first=Katie |title=Victims of the Post Office's sub-postmaster scandal on their decade of hell |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/victims-of-the-post-office-s-subpostmaster-scandal-on-their-decade-of-hell-gmwgl0pq7 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200209115512/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/victims-of-the-post-office-s-subpostmaster-scandal-on-their-decade-of-hell-gmwgl0pq7 |archive-date=9 February 2020 |access-date=9 February 2020 |work=The Times|url-access=subscription}}</ref> The Post Office spent £100 million of public money in unsuccessfully defending the case.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-68663750|title=Secret papers reveal Post Office knew its court defence was false|date=28 March 2024|work=BBC}}</ref> Following the conclusion of the case Vennells's tenure as CEO was criticised in Parliament. The [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] peer [[James Arbuthnot|Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom]] said that "The hallmark of Paula Vennells' time as CEO was that she was willing to accept appalling advice from people in her management and legal teams. The consequences of this were far-reaching for the Post Office and devastating for the subpostmasters", and he described the behaviour of the Post Office under her leadership as "both cruel and incompetent".<ref name="CW20200622">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252484963/Care-Quality-Commission-to-discuss-concerns-over-Paula-Vennells-NHS-role |access-date=5 July 2020 |date=22 June 2020 |title= Care Quality Commission to discuss concerns over Paula Vennells' NHS role |first=Karl |last=Flinders |magazine=[[Computer Weekly]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252484163/Government-investigation-into-Horizon-scandal-bares-teeth |magazine=
In March 2020, Vennells resigned her position as a [[Non-executive director|non-executive board member]] at the Cabinet Office.<ref
In a [[BBC]] ''[[Panorama (British TV programme)|Panorama]]'' programme screened on 8 June 2020, reporter [[Nick Wallis]] is seen phoning Vennells, who terminates the call rather than answer his questions. Wallis says "this is one of the biggest frustrations of covering this story ... the consistent refusal of the chief executive and the people at the top to answer serious questions about what has been happening".<ref>{{cite episode | title = Scandal at the Post Office | series=Panorama| url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000gpbv/panorama-scandal-at-the-post-office | credits = Presenter: [[Nick Wallis]] | network =
In June 2020, the [[Criminal Cases Review Commission]] sent 47 cases, in which subpostmasters had been prosecuted to the [[Court of Appeal (England and Wales)|Court of Appeal]], as potential miscarriages of justice.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Flinders |first1=Karl |title=Post Office IT scandal executive forced out of job at Football Association of Wales |url=https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252498141/Post-Office-IT-scandal-executive-forced-out-of-job-at-Football-Association-of-Wales |website=Computer Weekly |access-date=22 March 2021}}</ref> During the case, the Post Office's conduct under Vennells's leadership was described as an instance of "appalling and shameful behaviour".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lea |first1=Robert |title=Post Office falls to loss after Horizon IT scandal |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/post-office-falls-to-loss-after-horizon-it-scandal-c690n5v0p |work=The Times |access-date=25 March 2021|url-access=subscription}}</ref> In April 2021, 39 former postmasters had their convictions quashed, and another 22 cases were still being investigated by the Criminal Cases Review Commission. A few days later, Vennells agreed to step back from her duties as an associate minister.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |last1=Powell |first1=Luke |last2=Kay |first2=Jaimie |date=26 April 2021 |title=Herts minister 'truly sorry' after dozens of post workers wrongly convicted |url=https://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/news/hertfordshire-news/st-albans-minister-truly-sorry-5340843 |access-date=5 January 2024 |website=Herts Live}}</ref> The Bishop of St Albans, (himself the son of a retired subpostmaster) said that it was "right" that Vennells did so.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/apr/26/ex-post-office-head-apologises-to-workers-after-convictions-quashed|title= Ex-Post Office head apologises to workers after convictions quashed |access-date=26 April 2021 |date=26 April 2021 |work=
On the same day, she resigned her non-executive directorships at UK supermarket chain [[Morrisons]] and furnishings group [[Dunelm Group|Dunelm]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://news.sky.com/story/ex-post-office-chief-vennells-quits-morrisons-and-dunelm-boards-12287211|publisher=Sky News|date=26 April 2021|access-date=26 April 2021|title= Ex-Post Office chief Vennells quits Morrisons and Dunelm boards}}</ref> She also resigned as a governor of [[Bedford School]], a position she had held since 2014.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.bedfordindependent.co.uk/ex-post-office-chief-stands-down-as-bromham-church-minister-and-bedford-school-governor/ |work=[[Bedford Independent]] |date=26 April 2021 |access-date=28 April 2021 |title=Ex-Post Office chief stands down as Bromham church minister and Bedford School governor}}</ref> In May 2021 she left the Church of England's Ethical Investment Advisory Group on which she had previously served.<ref name="CofE ethics" />
Vennells was portrayed by [[Lia Williams]] in a four-part television drama series, ''[[Mr Bates vs The Post Office]]'', broadcast on [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] in January 2024 and released in its entirety on [[ITVX]].<ref>{{Citation |title=Mr Bates vs. The Post Office (TV Mini Series 2024) - IMDb |url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt27867155/fullcredits |access-date=9 January 2024}}</ref>
===Horizon IT inquiry===
Over three days in May 2024, Vennells gave sometimes tearful evidence to the statutory public inquiry into the Horizon scandal, chaired by [[Wyn Williams|Sir Wyn Williams]]. On the first two days she was questioned by counsel to the inquiry, Jason Beer KC. On the third day it was the turn of counsel for the core participants, including the subpostmaster victims, to question Vennells.<ref name=Fivemoments>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgxx1zgpn0ko|title=Ex-Post Office boss Vennells' five big inquiry moments|date=24 May 2024|work=BBC News}}</ref> Vennells had submitted two witness statements totalling over 798 pages to the inquiry, which she denied was a "craven, self-serving account", as suggested by one of the counsel representing victims.<ref name=Fivemoments/><ref name=Guardianexec>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/may/24/paula-vennells-names-five-executives-she-blames-over-post-office-scandal|title=Paula Vennells names five executives she blames over Post Office scandal|date=24 May 2024|work=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=All Evidence |url=https://www.postofficehorizoninquiry.org.uk/evidence/all-evidence?search_api_fulltext=&date_added=&field_evidencetype=All&field_witness=All&field_witness_category=All&field_phase=551 |website=Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry |access-date=27 May 2024
Much of the evidence heard during the three days related to the extent that Vennells had known of flaws in the Horizon IT system and the unsafe nature of prosecutions of subpostmasters.
In a later session, the inquiry saw an internal paper drawn up in February 2014 by a committee within the [[Department for Business, Innovation and Skills|Department for Business]] and the [[Shareholder Executive]] which considered options for dismissing Vennells from her CEO role. This followed an annual review which had raised concerns about her people management skills and a lack of knowledge of the business.<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 June 2024 |title=Paula Vennells was 'under consideration' to be removed as Post Office boss by government in 2014 |url=https://www.itv.com/news/2024-06-06/vennells-was-under-consideration-to-be-removed-by-government-in-2014 |access-date=19 June 2024 |website=ITV News}}</ref>
===Awards and honours===
In the [[2019 New Year Honours]], Vennells was appointed [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE)
In 2021, after the successful appeals by subpostmasters prosecuted and convicted in the Post Office scandal, the [[Communication Workers Union (United Kingdom)|Communication Workers Union]] called for Vennells to be stripped of her CBE.<ref>{{cite news |date=23 April 2021 |title=Ex-Post Office chief should be stripped of CBE over Horizon scandal, union says |url=https://
On 8 January 2024, Prime Minister [[Rishi Sunak]]'s spokesman said he would "strongly support" the Honours Forfeiture Committee if it decided to look at revoking Vennells's CBE appointment.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Crerar |first=Pippa |date=2024-01-08 |title=Post Office scandal: Sunak would 'strongly support' review of ex-boss's CBE |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/jan/08/post-office-scandal-sunak-strongly-support-review-paula-vennells-cbe |access-date=2024-01-16 |work=
==Personal life==
Vennells met her husband, John, at the Bradford University dinghy club.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Fenton |first1=Rosaleen |last2=Otter |first2=Saffron |date=9 January 2024 |title=Post Office boss Paula Vennells now from 'church resignation' to giving CBE back |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/post-office-boss-paula-vennells-31841184 |access-date=11 January 2024 |work=[[Daily Mirror]]}}</ref> He is a former global vice-president at the international engineering firm [[ABB]]. They married in 1994
==References==
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{{s-bef|before=David Smith|as=Managing Director}}
{{s-ttl|title=Chief Executive Officer of [[Post Office Limited]]|years=2011–2019}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Nick Read (Post Office CEO)|Nick Read]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Richard Sykes (microbiologist)|Sir Richard Sykes]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Chair of [[Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust]]|years=2019–2021}}
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[[Category:1959 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Denton, Greater Manchester]]▼
[[Category:People educated at Manchester High School for Girls]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Bradford]]
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[[Category:Church of England priests]]
[[Category:21st-century English Anglican priests]]
▲[[Category:People from Denton, Greater Manchester]]
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