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From: Paula Vennell _GRO I
Sent: Thur 29/08/2013 8:40:35 AM (UTC)
To: Alice Perkins[{~
Subject: Re: Board note from Paula as promised
Are you sure? Happy to present the spade - there was no intention to cover up from me. Having looked into it
and spoken to Val Gooding, it was something that was no longer front of my mind. But you are right to call it
out.
Paula
Sent from my iPad
On 29 Aug 2013, at 08:21, "Alice Perkins"
Helpful update, thank you.
In the spirit of calling a spade a spade, I personally would have referred to the court case in relation to
MG. No need to do anything but for future reference, I think the business is still inclined to put things
"delicately". Personally, I prefer the whole story, warts and all, and then I know what I'm dealing with.
Thanks
A
From: Alwen Lyons —_ .
Sent: Wednesday, August 28, 2013
. holmes. t21
Cc: Susan Crichton
Subject: Board note from Paula as promised
Please find below a note from Paula as promised on Monday
Thanks
Alwen
Dear All
I promised you a note covering these areas,
apologies for the length of the email but there is a
lot to cover
Horizon - Announcement of independent
mediation scheme for subpostmasters
We have established a mediation process, as
outlined in the Board update paper, to enable each
complaint against Horizon raised by
subpostmasters to be reviewed on a case by case
basis. Subpostmasters must register their case by
18'" November and we are going to provide
limited financial support for a professional advisor
to assist them. This will restrict Second Sight’s
remit to the specific task of preparing an impartial
evidence based report. We are planning to use a
panel of independent mediators to enable a
nationwide coverage. Their role will be to help the
subpostmaster and Post Office find common
ground and some form of resolution to the
subpostmaster’s complaint. They will not have the
authority to impose a financial settlement or any
other form of resolution on the parties.
We are firmly of the view that each case going
through this process will need to be determined
on a case by case basis. There are a range of
outcomes, from an acceptance that that the
subpostmaster was at fault and that no specific
redress should will be required; to recognition that
the Business could have more effective support
which will feed in to the process re-engineering
work now underway. There is the clear risk that in
some cases the sub-postmaster will argue that
financial compensation is appropriate, which again
will have to be assessed carefully on a case by case
basis. We will establish an approval mechanism to
ensure that if any financial settlements are made
they are correctly authorised and tracked. We
certainly do not believe there are grounds for a
blanket compensation scheme, and have not set
up this process with this expectation.
It should also be noted that this initial scheme will
come to a conclusion by end March 2014. We
have worked together with JFSA and SS as a
working group. We and they intend that
collaborative approach will continue going
forward, with the addition of an independent
chair. Names and a draft ToR for the chair are
already work in progress.
We have shared the mediation scheme with James
Arbuthnot and he was happy to endorse this as a
way forward.
Commenting on the mediation scheme he said: “I
am very pleased indeed with the working group’s
proposed process. To my mind, it represents the
very best chance all parties — individual
subpostmasters and mistresses, and the Post
Office have of ensuring the best outcome for
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everyone. It is fair, thorough, and independent.”
lam also in the process, with the help of Alasdair
and Alice, setting up a lessons learned review to
understand what we could have done better in the
independent review carried out by Second Sight,
but also to understand how the Business
responded to the Subpostmasters’ challenges and
whether our process for dealing with balance
queries, suspensions, prosecutions etc. were fair.
This review will report to me and Alwen will help
facilitate the work for Richard Hatfield who has
agreed to undertake the work finishing by mid
October.
I will update the Board further at the next
Board meeting.
Appointment of the new Chief Marketing and
Commercial Officer
As you know we have been searching for a Chief
Marketing and Commercial Officer. Following
approval by the Nominations & Remuneration
Committees, I am pleased to inform you that
Martin George has been appointed to the role. In
the spirit of no surprises, Martin has held a
number of senior marketing roles and was at BA
during the time of the allegations of fixing the
price of the fuel surcharge. Appropriate due
diligence was carried out to my satisfaction and to
the satisfaction of the RemCom prior to
appointment and full references have been taken
(two by me personally). Martin is a strong
marketing professional, who will be a great
addition to the Post Office and bring additional
strength to the ExCo.
Attached is a copy of the communication that has
gone out to the Senior Leadership Team. ShEx
have also been informed of the appointment:
"lam very pleased to be able to announce that
Martin George will be joining the PO Executive
Committee, reporting to me, as Chief Marketing
and Commercial Officer. He will be taking up his
new role on 23 September. Martin will be
responsible for leading the Marketing, Mails,
Telecoms, Government and Digital teams as well
as taking the lead on the SME agenda.
Martin is a proven business leader with significant
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experience in brand marketing, commercial and
general management; he is an accomplished
marketing professional having worked in
companies such as Boots, Cadbury, British Airways
and BUPA. He has held both senior executive and
main Board roles.
In terms of his career there are many highlights, to
draw out just a few: at Cadbury Martin worked in
Brand Management and won the National
Marketing Award from the Institute of Marketing
for a new product launch, whilst at BA he
transformed the commercial model from
“intermediary push” to “consumer pull” through a
programme of product & service innovation as
well as the introduction of ba.com. Martin is
passionate about the consumer: as well as
numerous service enhancements, he introduced
BA miles to improve customer loyalty. He also led
the commercial recovery of BA following the tragic
events of 9/11. Whilst at BUPA he led the global
initiative on Brand repositioning and transformed
the ecommerce capability of the business,
I would like to extend my thanks to Paul Brown
who has led the Commercial team on an interim
basis and who will work closely with Martin during
his induction period.
I am sure that you will join with me in giving a
warm welcome to Martin when he joins us in
September."
Industrial Action Update
290 crown branches opened yesterday (managers
were deployed) with 79 closed.
There has been very limited media coverage of the
strike action with the Daily Express being the only
national newspaper making reference to it. There
has been no national TV broadcast coverage,
though a small number of regional radio stations
have covered the strikes.
Of the 19 branches in Scotland for whom we
received notification of strike action on Monday
(due to different local holiday arrangements in
Scotland), 9 opened and 10 closed. There was
limited coverage in the Scottish press and no
significant coverage in the national press.
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Over the course of the weekend approximately
60% of staff have taken strike action which is in
line with recent strikes.
Paula
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