Frank Nelson

Occupation: Retired Marketing Manager

Co-operative Businesses traded with in last 12 months Food, Funeralcare, Legal and Bank

Skills and experience

I’m privileged to have served you on the Members’ Council for the last 3 years and ask for your vote again. My priorities are to ensure the Board are working in the interests of all our members, employees and pensioners ensuring they are always treated fairly. I’m a former local councillor, Pension Fund Trustee and currently a Magistrate and Co-op Party Member. If you have any questions, email me any time at frank291250@hotmail.co.uk

Additional information

Having spent three years on the Members’ Council, a year before that as a Director on the Transitional Group Board and with 20 years’ experience as a Trustee on a number of Co-operative Pension Fund boards, I’ve acquired the skills and knowledge to call to account, support and encourage our Board to devise and deliver our strategy and business performance while ensuring we “members together” – elected or not - have a say and influence on how our co-op is run.

I know I can help our Co-op face its challenges and maximise the opportunities before us. I bring to the Council significant experience, knowledge and insight complemented by financial, marketing and analytical skills.

I worked at the Co-operative Bank for over 30 years up to 2007. My last 20 years at the Bank were spent in the Marketing Department, where I was privileged in the 1990’s to work on the Bank’s unique “customer-led ethical policy”.

Between 2011 and 2013 I was on the Board of Co-operatives UK and on the Board of Governors of the Co-operative College. I have a deep commitment to co-operation and its democratically derived Values and Principles.

I’m currently a Magistrate, previously served as a Liverpool City Councillor and was a member of the Banking Insurance and Finance Union National Executive and Management Committees.

These roles have given me tremendous experience in structured, consensus decision-making and given me the self confidence and expertise to present and articulate persuasive arguments.

If elected, I would remain a passionate voice for members and their interests.

If elected, I pledge to do my best to;

Help OUR Co-op stay in business to the benefit of all our stakeholders: members, customers, colleagues, pension scheme members, suppliers, the co-operative movement and the very many local communities in which we trade;

Maximise members’ say in how our business is run;

Optimise – not maximise – our profits;

Deliver excellent products, service and ethics;

Deliver on our Ethical Plan’s inspirational opening statement “Some things are plainly unjust and need to be tackled, with or without a business case”; and

As quickly as commercially possible, get back to paying our members a decent dividend. Finally, and most importantly of all, I believe in good-quality training and development for ALL members and particularly for those wanting to get actively involved in our Society.

We must invest in the next generation of committed co-operators, willing to become future custodians and Board members of our Society.

We hold in trust for future generations of members the Co-operative’s assets, built over 155 years.

Today: the Board, Executive and Council have a joint responsibility to protect what’s left of those assets by delivering excellent service and compelling products – in a prudent, patient, sustainable, responsible, ethical and equitable way.

These are my values.

Working together our co-operative society will continue to succeed. If you ever have any questions or concerns about your Co-op email me anytime at frank291250@hotmail.co.uk

I ask for your vote and the privilege of serving you on your Council.