Co-op Group Chief Technology Officer Robert Elsey becomes retailer’s latest high profile departure
Co-op’s Group CTO Robert Elsey is set to leave the business in October, with the retailer hopeful of naming his replacement before he departs.
Elsey joined Co-op in 2021 and guided it through last year’s high profile cyber attack. Prior to that, he was CTO and then CIO at Bank of England. The role at Co-op was newly created with CEO Shirine Khoury-Haq stating that the restrictions brought by the Covid-19 pandemic had shown the “increasing importance of technology and digital propositions - the role they play in our colleagues’, customers’ and members’ lives is here to stay”.
She added: “The CTO will play an instrumental part in helping us to maintain and build momentum in our marketplaces, as well as make meaningful differences to the lives of our members and communities.”
Earlier this year, Khoury-Haq said she was leaving. “It has been an honour to lead our Co-op as CEO. It is not only a commercial enterprise, but also deeply embedded in communities, doing right by them and our members every day,” she commented. “Following last year’s cyber attack, the organisation is now ready to deliver on an ambitious strategy of stabilisation and transformation. This extends beyond the timeframe I had planned for my CEO tenure, and now is the right moment to hand over to leadership that can commit to seeing the strategy through.”
“I want to thank all of our colleagues and members for their support over the years. I wish this wonderful organisation success in the future and, when the transition period is over, I look forward to continuing my relationship with our Co-op as a member owner.”
Co-op did not respond to our request for comment as to exactly why Elsey was following Khoury-Haq out the door, but it is understood that he has handed in his resignation.
George Hayworth
Earlier this year, George Hayworth announced his departure from Co-op, where he held the role of Head of Quick Commerce Development, amid structural changes at the UK convenience retailer. In September, The Co-operative Group reported a £75 million underlying pre-tax loss for the first half of 2025, a significant downturn from the £3 million profit recorded in the same period in 2024.
This was primarily due to an £80 million earnings hit caused the aforementioned cyber attack which also included £20 million in one off costs. It stated that it was refining its member and customer proposition and making structural changes for long-term success.
Hayworth said: “After eight years in a senior role with Co-op, I’ve recently been told that my position is being made redundant as part of wider structural changes. It’s not the outcome I would have chosen, but I’m genuinely proud of what we built. From a standing start, we grew Co-op’s quick commerce business into a £650 million+ profitable operation. More importantly, I had the chance to work with some exceptional people and learn a huge amount along the way.”
He added: “Now feels like a good moment to take that experience into a new challenge. I’m particularly interested in roles where I can: Scale digital or omnichannel businesses; Lead transformation or build new propositions from scratch; Work with strong teams to deliver commercial results at pace. If you’re hiring, or know someone who is, I’d really value a conversation. Equally, always happy to reconnect with people I’ve worked with over the years. Thanks to everyone who’s been part of the journey so far - on to the next chapter.”
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Convenience retail will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
