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Paula Vennells, the ex-chief of the Post Office, has announced she is leaving the board of Morrisons and Dunelm – after the High Court cleared the name of 39 post office workers who were falsely accused of accounting fraud, due to failure in the company’s security system.
Vennells, who is also an Anglican minister, was chief executive of the Post Office between 2012-2019 when reports that the offices faulty accounting system, Horizon, were not investigated properly.
This led to shortfalls in branch accounts, leading to workers being convicted of theft and placed in jail.
In a regulatory announcement, Morrisons said that Vennells, who sat on the board as a non-executive director since 2016, informed the group of her intention to step down with “immediate effect”.
Andrew Higginson, Morrisons chairman, said that Vennells had been an “insightful, effective and hardworking” non-executive director – and thanked her for “significant contribution over the last five years.”
In addition, Dunelm also announced Vennels departure as a non-executive director.
Andy Harrison, chairman of Dunelm, said: “We respect Paula’s decision to step down from the board and I would like to thank her for the positive contribution she has made to the business since her appointment in September 2019.”
