From store to the board: How manager Sean helps influence decisions as a member of the Central England Co-op board
Posted by rob smyth | Published: 28/03/2018
Sean Clothier, store manager at Market Harborough Supermarket and Petrol Filling Station, holds a very unique position at Central England Co-op.
Not only does he help provide people across the market town with their groceries, he is also one of only three employees who sit on its Board of Directors.
The 50-year-old began his career with the Society in 1983 as a 16-year-old working 10 hours a week at his local store in Loughborough. Since then he has gone on to work and support over 20 stores across the East Midlands and now enjoys the extra responsibility of shaping the future of the Society with his role on the Board.
He said: “My first interactions with the Co-op were via my grandparents and parents and then eventually when I got my first part-time job.
“I worked there for a couple of years while I was doing my A Levels and, after deferring university for a year, wrote to the then head of retail to ask if there was a management trainee programme.
“The letter must have been well received because, despite a few months in 1989, I have worked for the Society ever since and never looked back.”
Sean quickly progressed through a variety of roles and has now been a store manager for 23 years.
He added: “The role of being a store manager has changed over the years, mainly due to the arrival of new technology.
“My job has then been to work with my colleagues to ensure they know how best to use this technology to perform their jobs to the best of their ability.
“It is a role that has its challenges, but challenges that I enjoy taking on.
“The highlight of being a store manager for me is being able to work with a great team but also seeing them grow and progress. This can be everything from seeing people pick up a new skill to others progressing and going on to manage stores of their own.”
Community sits at the heart of everything that Central England Co-op does, and this is one of the major reasons that led to Sean becoming a Board Director.
“Being part of the community and, most importantly, giving back to our communities is our major selling point as a co-operative business,” Sean said.
“Having an outlook focused on community and our members and customers saw me, in 2014, put myself forward and eventually be elected to the Board of Directors as an Employee Director.
“I feel extremely privileged to be part of the Board and to be able to bring ground level knowledge to decisions that shape the future of our Society.
“I also believe that being a Board Director has also helped me in my role as a Store Manager. It not only means I can bring a different outlook and view to my fellow Board Directors but it also means that when decisions are made I have a greater view of why and can use this when trying to implement change with fellow colleagues.”
Juggling the roles of store manager and Board Director is not easy, but it is a challenge that Sean embraces.
He added: “I feel real sense of responsibility with both of my roles and can wholeheartedly say that becoming a Board Director was one of the best decisions I have ever made as it has meant that I can enjoy being part of the business on the frontline in store and then take that knowledge to have a real say into the future of Central England Co-operative.”
Away from work, newly-married Sean enjoys walking his dogs with wife Kerry, his camper van and the outdoors and has been devoting time to renovating a 200 year old cottage. He also enjoys spending time with his stepchildren Devon, 23, and Harry, 20, and is really looking forward to becoming a grandfather in June.
Sean summed up his interesting dual roles by offering up the simple reason behind why he does it all.
“I do what I do simply because I want to make a difference to customers, colleagues and the community,” he said.
Becoming a member of Central England Co-operative offers a whole host of benefits ranging from collecting points every time you spend in store to earn a share of the profits, access to members activities and community initiatives including the Community Dividend Fund, which hands out grants of up to £5,000 to charities and good causes across the Society’s trading estate.
Find out how to become a Central England Co-operative member by calling 0800 0501 601, emailing members@centralengland.coop or visiting https://www.members.coop
Notes to editors
Picture caption: Sean Clothier splits his time between his work as a Store Manager in Market Harborough and representing his fellow employees on the board of Central England Co-operative.
About Central England Co-operative
Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK.
It is a modern, forward-looking organisation employing over 8,000 staff, with the Society’s principal areas of activity being food, funeral services, and property investment.
Central England Co-operative has over 400 trading outlets across 16 counties including; West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. The Society has an ambitious food store development programme for 2018.
Central England Co-operative is proud of its reputation for ethical business practices and corporate responsibility. It is a member of Business in the Community, the membership organisation that stands for responsible business, and has also won many business awards for excellence. The Society supports a number of charities including Dementia UK and invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities.
Becoming a member of Central England Co-operative offers a whole host of benefits ranging from collecting points every time you spend in store to earn a share of the profits, access to members activities and community initiatives including the Community Dividend Fund, which hands out grants of up to £5,000 to charities and good causes across the Society’s trading estate.
Find out how to become a Central England Co-operative member by calling 0800 0501 601, emailing members@centralengland.coop or visiting https://www.members.coop
For more information visit www.centralengland.coop, follow Central England Co-operative on Twitter: @mycoopfood, and on Facebook: facebook.com/centralenglandcooperative
Rob Smyth / Heather Clapton at Central England Co-operative on 01543 414140
Email –publicrelations@centralengland.coop