Our Board of Directors

Aaron is a seasoned legal professional and one of only a few lawyers who blends extensive experience in the realms of commercial and corporate law with the unique needs of cooperative enterprises and the application of cooperative principles and values. Qualifying as a lawyer in the UK in 2000, Aaron has amassed extensive experience working within Big4 and similar prestigious firms in which he held senior leadership roles. Over the years, he has advised a wide spectrum of clients, on a plethora of complex legal issues, ranging from dot-com startups, cooperatives and family businesses to prominent FTSE 100 and Fortune 500 companies. In 2020, Aaron took a pivotal role in leading the conversion of retail technology company VME Systems Limited into an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) worker cooperative.

Currently, Aaron is in the final year of his Master's in Cooperative Management and Credit Unions at the Sobey School of Business, Saint Mary's University, Canada. This advanced study reflects his dedication to furthering the cooperative movement and enhancing his understanding of cooperative economics.

As a recognized voice in the cooperative sector, Aaron frequently shares his insights at significant events, including the Global Cooperative Innovation Summit in Paris and more recently Montreal and the Coops UK Retail Society conference. His expertise and contributions to the field have also led him to serve as a panel member on the Coops UK Expert Governance Panel.

Qualified as an actuary with significant experience in the mutual and wider financial services sector Barry is currently CEO of the UK’s largest Insurance Mutual, Royal London. Barry brings added mutual and financial services insight and perspectives to the Board. Known for his strategic thinking and leadership skills, Barry is action orientated, and brings a welcome and constructive challenge function. Barry also has access to a network of fund managers, compliance experts and political connections to help spread the message and vision of Coop Exchange. Barry qualified as an actuary with Standard Life in 1988, where he continued to work for 17 years before moving to Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) at a time of turmoil, coinciding as it did with the 2007/8 financial crisis. Following his time at HBOS, Barry joined UK pensions provider, Prudential, where he led its retail life and pensions business. In 2013 Barry returned to Standard Life, where he was at the heart of some major changes, including the sale of Standard Life insurance to Phoenix. In 2019 Barry joined Royal London as its group CEO, and commenting in the press about his move, Barry made no secret of his admiration of the mutual model and its longer-term strategic outlook and how doing so benefits consumers.

Ben is internationally recognised as a leader in the cooperative sector and a committed cooperator who is currently serving his third term as a board member of the ICA. He has also served as a director on a number of high profile cooperative organisations. These have included the Cooperative Group, the Cooperative Bank and the Cooperative Insurance Society. In addition he was Chair of Cooperatives UK, the Apex body for cooperatives in the UK.
Ben not only brings to the Board extensive leadership experience in the cooperative sector but also a wider commercial perspective because of his experience of operating large commercial cooperative enterprises, including in his role as CEO of Midcounties Cooperative, which employed over 9,000 staff during his tenure and which had an annual turnover of over GBP 1 billion.

An accountant by profession Ben is currently the chair of HF Holidays, a cooperative which specialises in providing walking and activity holidays and is a director of Dot Coop which is responsible for the promotion and development of the the Domain name .coop as an identifier of a bona fide cooperative business. Away from the business world Ben has also made a significant contribution to the local community. he has held a number of high profile roles that have included Chair of three UK NHS Trusts and Chair of Wolverhampton University.
It was in recognition for his contribution to both business and the community that he was awarded the OBE.

Daniel is Vice President, Corporate Development and Founder and Head of Co-operators Corporate Venture Capital. In his role, Dan leads a team responsible for all corporate development and venture capital fund activity comprising both direct and fund of fund investments.

The Co-operators Corporate Venture Capital fund reflects our continued commitment to addressing the unmet insurance and financial services needs of Canadians and their communities taking part in a fast-paced and ever-changing digital economy and offering entrepreneurs the benefits of partnering with a large, purpose-built, cooperative financial services company supported by and connected across broader stakeholder groups, domestically and internationally and that has an ability and desire to collaborate and co-create with start-ups

Prior to joining The Co-operators, Dan spent 10 years in investment banking where he had responsibility for advising clients across several industries on mandates covering M&A, capital raising and strategic advisory. Prior to investment banking, Dan worked for 7 years at BMO Financial Group in roles covering commercial lending, capital management, corporate development, and strategy.

Dan is on the Board of CU CUMIS Holdings, the holding company of the Canadian cooperative owned wealth manager Aviso Wealth; is on the Boards of portfolio companies Responsive AI and Slice Labs; and is a member of the Alate Partners, Active Impact Investments and Pender Ventures LPAC’s and Chair of the EmmerTech LPAC.

Dame Pauline is an internationally respected leader within the cooperative movement, having held a number of leadership positions within the European Parliament, Coops UK and both the European and international ICA bodies. Pauline brings an invaluable wealth of cooperative experience, networks and governance expertise. Her work with other recognised leaders on the Blue Ribbon Commission helped Pauline inform the shape of cooperative capital without compromising on cooperative principles and values. Dame Pauline is a former Labour and Cooperative Party Member of the European Parliament and former Leader of the Parliamentary Group of the Party of European Socialists. Following her re-election as an MEP in 1999, Dame Pauline retired from politics to become the first female Chief Executive of Coops UK, a position that she held until 2009. In 2003 Dame Pauline was appointed President of ICA Europe until her election as President of the ICA in November 2009. As with her appointment to Coops UK, Dame Pauline was the first female president in the ICA’s history. Committed to cooperative values and principles, Dame Pauline has worked on a number of initiatives relating to cooperative capital, including the ICA’s Blueprint for a Cooperative Decade research paper and, together with Kathy Bardswick, the Blue Ribbon Commission. Acutely aware of the need to support cooperatives’ capital requirements, Dame Pauline supports the Board, ensuring that this is done while remaining consistent with the cooperative values and principles.

Ritchie is a distinguished chartered tax advisor with a robust background in tax, accounting, valuation, and business growth strategies. His extensive career began at a Big 4 consulting firm, leading to a pivotal 15-year tenure at PwC. Here, Ritchie honed his expertise in a broad spectrum of areas, including M&A transactions, corporate restructuring, employee ownership, and incentive plans.

Known for his deep involvement in corporate transactions and policy reform, Ritchie has worked closely with both private and public companies, venture capital, private equity ventures, and international subsidiaries. His specialism lies in creating bespoke employee incentive plans, fund raises, and share valuation, earning him a national reputation in the UK.

Currently, Ritchie chairs the South Wales branch of the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT), contributes to several technical sub-committees, and edits tax valuation material for Croner-i. Motivated by Coop Exchange's innovative mission, Ritchie joined as a founder in 2020, aiming to leverage his experience to support employee-owned and cooperative businesses, all while continuing his private practice.

Shaun's distinguished career in the mutual sector stands out prominently at the International Cooperative and Mutual Insurance Federation (ICMIF), where he began his journey in 1995. By 2005, Shaun's visionary leadership elevated him to the role of CEO, during which he has significantly expanded ICMIF's membership from 65 to 200 members across 70 countries, underscoring his pivotal role in the global mutual insurance landscape.

A recognized authority on impact investing and sustainable business, Shaun authored the ICMIF Global Manifesto "Protecting Lives and Livelihoods" in 2015, embodying a commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. His expertise across climate change, disaster risk resilience, and responsible investing positions him as a key influencer in shaping insurance policies for sustainability.

Under Shaun's stewardship, ICMIF has developed strategic global partnerships with key UN agencies and the Prince’s Accounting for Sustainability Project (A4S), enhancing mutual insurance's role in achieving the UN 2030 Agenda. As a founding member of the Insurance Development Forum (IDF), Shaun has been instrumental in fostering unique public-private collaborations that address insurance-related issues at the highest levels of global policy.

Beyond his environmental and policy achievements, Shaun is celebrated for his thought leadership in the mutual sector, frequently addressing topics like governance, innovation, and mutual sector strategies. His board positions with the Climate Bonds Initiative and Regis Mutual Management further demonstrate his dedication to promoting green finance and pioneering mutual insurance development.

Stephen stands at the helm of Coop Exchange as its visionary founder and dynamic CEO. With over three decades of expertise in the tech industry, his entrepreneurial spirit and profound technology acumen have been the cornerstone of Coop Exchange's inception. Stephen's journey began with leading a management buyout of a technology firm in 2004, steering to growth and then culminating in its transformation into a cooperative in 2020 - a testament to his commitment to fostering a fairer and more equitable world.

Beyond his technical prowess in coding and app development, Stephen is deeply ingrained in the cooperative community. His extensive network and practical understanding of cooperatives are augmented by significant leadership roles, including presentations to the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) and board positions with Coops UK and workers.coop, the UK's apex and representative bodies for cooperatives, respectively.

A recent graduate from St. Mary’s University, Canada, with a Master's in Cooperative Management and Credit Unions, Stephen's academic achievements include a final paper on 'Redefining P3 Member Economic Participation: The Potential of Pension Contributions in the Cooperative Economy' and his winning the prestigious Pobihuschy Medal, awarded to the student judged by colleagues as most exemplifying the principles and values of cooperation, further highlighting his dedication to cooperative excellence.

Driven by a vision to revolutionise cooperative financing, Stephen conceived the Coop Exchange concept in 2018. Disillusioned by traditional exit strategies that overlooked the welfare of workers and customers, he sought to create a platform that facilitates ethical investments in cooperatives. Through Coop Exchange, Stephen aims to empower coops fearful of liquidity risk, and private businesses and startups seeking to embrace the cooperative model, to do so while ensuring sustainable growth and equitable returns for all stakeholders – workers, users and investors.