Richard stepped down as CEO of the Co-op in 2017 in order to pursue a portfolio career, having joined in 2013 as part of a team which saved it from near collapse. He has over 30 years’ experience in retail, starting with the management buyout of Allders in the late 1980s. Over the years, he has been involved in the growth of J D Wetherspoon and the turnarounds of Laura Ashley, Welcome Break, Bulmers and Morrisons. Richard has been SID at Persimmon Homes, and Chairman of Howdens Joinery and Fenwicks. He is currently Chairman of On the Beach PLC, Two Sisters Food Group and Wolf & Badger Ltd. He’s Co-chair of the Retail Sector Council, lead non-executive Director at the Department for Education and has been asked by the new Government to establish Skills England. In October 2021, Richard was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to retail.