East of England Co-op elects new President

Frank Moxon, a corporate financier and board-level financial adviser with extensive experience as a trustee in the not-for-profit sector, has been elected as the new President of the East of England Co-operative.

Frank was first elected by the East of England Co-op's members to the Board of Directors in 2018, before being elected by the Board as President in November 2020.

Having lived full-time in East Anglia for 11 years, following a long period as a weekend resident during over two decades of living and working in London, Frank said: “It’s an honour and a privilege to be elected President. The role brings with it a lot of responsibility but, with the support of my colleagues, I am up for the challenge.

“We have a fantastically diverse Board with a broad range of backgrounds and specialisms, and I am proud to be taking on the role of ensuring that we cooperate together to make the right decisions for our co-op.”

Frank was born in Essex two weeks after his mother arrived in the UK from Texas. After graduating with a degree in economics from Loughborough University, he enjoyed a career in the City as a corporate financier and board-level financial adviser. Specialising in mining and energy for over 20 years, he has also advised companies in the retail, leisure, manufacturing and IT sectors amongst others. He has extensive experience as a company director and as a trustee of charities such as Diabetes UK, Reach Volunteering, The CISI Educational Trust and The Brokerage CityLink (which helps students from disadvantaged backgrounds to break into professional careers in the City).

Speaking of the challenges faced by the East of England Co-op and its region during 2020, Frank said: “I’ve become President at a unique time. I am deeply proud of how all our colleagues have embraced and adapted to the challenges that the last year has thrown at them.

“Something that has been particularly striking for me is that no matter how tough this pandemic has been, you can walk into any East of England Co-op branch and be greeted by smiling, friendly and helpful colleagues.”

Frank is positive about what the East of England Co-op can achieve in 2021. He said: “Supporting our communities is part of our DNA as a co-operative and will remain at the heart of our objectives and priorities for the year ahead.

“To ensure that we can continue to support our communities and look after our members and colleagues we will need to work hard to keep each part of our business thriving. That will be a key focus for us in 2021.

“I’m sure there will be more challenges to come but there will also be many opportunities. I’m very excited about what we at our co-op can achieve together.”

The local retailer’s news of Frank’s election comes alongside the appointment of a new company Secretary. Jonathan Carey has worked for the East of England Co-op for the past 16 years, the past 10 of which as Deputy Secretary.

Jonathan, who is responsible for advising the Board on governance matters, said: “Growing up in West Mersea and spending time with the family in Dedham, the Co-op has always been an important part of my daily life.

“Today, my understanding of the importance of Co-operative values and principles has strengthened and are in my opinion, now more important to the ongoing success of the East of England Co-op than at any other point during my time with the Society. It is a pleasure to work for an organisation that has held these values at its heart for over 150 years.”