"[25], In April 2021, thirty-nine of the convicted former postmasters had their convictions quashed, with a further twenty two cases still being investigated by the Criminal Cases Review Commission. Our guests praise the clean rooms in their reviews. Despite presiding over Britain's worst-ever miscarriage of justice, Vennells, 62, now lives in a sprawling 2million farmhouse. Ms Vennells was made a CBE for "services to the Post Office and to charity". A three-strong judicial panel ruled that the Post Office had steamrollered sub-postmasters and effectively sought to reverse the burden of proof: it treated what was no more than a shortfall shown by an unreliable accounting system as an incontrovertible loss, and proceeded as if it were for the accused to prove that no such loss had occurred. Paula Vennells gave the keynote speech at this year's Faith in Business conference at Ridley Hall. 2. The four demanded a full public inquiry and compensation to acknowledge their financial losses as well as their trauma and loss of reputation. She was chief executive officer (CEO) of the Post Office Limited from 2012 to 2019. [20], In early March 2020, she resigned from her Cabinet Office position. If they had been, this travesty of justice could never have occurred. Convicted Post Office workers have names cleared, 'Post Office took us to hell and back but we won', Xi Jinping's power grab - and why it matters, Street fighting in Bakhmut but Russia not in control, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. Exact date yellow weather warning for snow and ice forecast to hit UK - will you be affected? The Revd Paula Vennells said: "I am truly sorry for the suffering caused to the 39 sub-postmasters as a result of their convictions which were overturned last week. By Line Break Pine Script, Hello world! Paula is a non-executive director of Morrisons PLC, a non-executive director of the Cabinet Office and a governor of Bedford School. Rev Paula Vennells, CBE Five long years we've waited to hear something of substance from former Post Office Chief Executive, Paula Vennells, and the good reverend has returned from silent exile shooting from the hip. Instead, victims heads have rolled. Paula has significant experience in large scale business turnaround, digital transformation and in culture change. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Why Alex Murdaugh was spared the death penalty, Why Trudeau is facing calls for a public inquiry, The shocking legacy of the Dutch 'Hunger Winter'. Paula Anne Vennells, CBE (born 1959), is a British businesswoman and Anglican priest. News about the scandal was . File pic. Paula Vennells was CEO of the Post Office for seven years, from 2012-2019, when hundreds of sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses had their lives ruined (really, really, ruined) as they were convicted . 7. It was she who blocked any recognition that there . 1300 E Ave., 0, Fort Lee, . Paula Vennells biography. If she's going down, she's going down in a Bon Jovi-style blaze of glory. Paula Anne Vennells is a successful businesswoman and Anglican priest who has had a public fallout as a result of her recent activities. . (She has since stepped back from these positions.) She was chief executive officer of Post Office Limited from 2012 to 2019. For the background have a listen to ep10 of The Great Post Office Trial.esp at 7 mins and later where they read a statements from Paula Vennells and the Post Office. The former chief executive of the Post Office has quit her roles on the boards of Morrisons and Dunelm following the IT scandal which led to the wrongful convictions of former postmasters. 19. Its backbone of Britain stuff and the prison doors clanged shut on them. Ms Vennells joined the Post Office in 2007. 1 reference. I hadnt put two and two together until I saw her on the news the other day, said one member of the St Owens congregation. [7] She was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 2005 and as a priest in 2006. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? Under her leadership, the Post Office prosecuted hundreds of subpostmasters for fraud, despite knowing that the financial discrepancies were actually arising from computer errors for which her own company was responsible. It has issued an apology and is already mentioning compensation. Mr Vennells is a global vice-president at engineer firm ABB, according to the Independent. Nick Wallis Verified account @nickwallis Writing a book on the Post Office Horizon IT scandal. Today we remember the 52 people who tragically lost their lives in the 7/7 terrorist attacks. [11], In February 2019, it was announced that she would step down from her Post Office role (she was eventually succeeded by Nick Read[12]) and in April that year took over as chair of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust,[13] which runs St Mary's, Hammersmith, Queen Charlotte's, Charing Cross and the Western Eye Hospital in north-west London. Response to the letter of Paula Vennells to BEIS Select Committee dated 24 th June 2020. In all, 736 sub-postmasters were pursued through the courts, an average of one successful prosecution a week for 14 years, and a further 2,400 say they were dismissed or asked to make up the phantom losses themselves. Paula Vennells, who earned 3.7million over six years as chief executive at the Post Office, yesterday quit the boards of supermarket chain Morrisons and homewares firm Dunelm. Former chair Sir Richard Sykes stepped down in December, after completing his seven-year tenure at the trust. Paula Anne Vennells, CBE (born 1959), is a British businesswoman and former Anglican priest. Paula Anne Vennells, CBE , is a British businesswoman and Anglican priest. from. [30] On the same day, The Daily Telegraph reported that judges had refused to release a "smoking gun" document, being legal advice given to the Post Office in 2013, that could establish whether it had known for years that its prosecutions of the postmasters had been based upon false evidence. As a former subpostmaster, since the proposed inception of the Network Transformation program in 2010, I have been and remain a staunch critic of Post Office Ltd (POL). [36], On 18 May 2021, the government announced that it would put the inquiry into the Post Office scandal onto a statutory footing, enabling it to compel witnesses such as Vennells to testify, and to demand access to all relevant documents. Paula Vennells is a British businesswoman and Anglican priest. [25] On 3 December 2020 it was announced that Vennells would step down as chair in April 2021, for personal reasons. She led the organisation when reports of a faulty IT system called Horizon led to hundreds of sub-postmastersbeing wrongfully convicted for theft, fraud and false accounting. She then studied Russian and French at the University of Bradford, graduating in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree. (Image: Morrisons) Former Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells has quit as a non-executive director of high street chains Morrisons and Dunelm in the wake of the subpostmaster miscarriage of justice scandal. But they had done nothing wrong. Language Label Description Also known as; English: Paula Vennells. Up and down the country, sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses were being criminalised on an industrial scale. biggest miscarriage of justice in British history, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, "Former postmasters cleared after Britain's biggest miscarriage of justice", "Post Office scandal ruined lives, inquiry hears", "Bishop took legal advice on removing former Post Office boss Paula Vennells", "Ex-Post Office boss Paula Vennells quits Morrisons and Dunelm boards", "Part time curate ordained to deliver salvation for Post Office", "Monday interview: Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells", "Post Office Group Chief Executive, Paula Vennells, Awarded Cbe in New Year's Honours List", "Victims of the Post Office's sub-postmaster scandal on their decade of hell", "Rev'd Paula Vennells should be removed from the CofE Ethical Investment Advisory Group", "I dreamt of victory against the Post Office", "MPs' investigation into Post Office Horizon IT scandal bares teeth", "Care Quality Commission to discuss concerns over Paula Vennells' NHS role", "Post Office & Horizon inquiry launched by BEIS Committee", "Post Office IT scandal CEO Paula Vennells jumps NHS ship as pressure mounts", "Post Office IT scandal executive forced out of job at Football Association of Wales", "Post Office falls to loss after Horizon IT scandal", "Post Office IT dispute, Carers week; Places of worship reopening", "Court blocks release of 'smoking gun' document in Post Office scandal appeal", "Convicted Post Office workers have names cleared", "Ex-Post Office head apologises to workers after convictions quashed", "Ex-Post Office chief Vennells quits Morrisons and Dunelm boards", "Ex-Post Office chief stands down as Bromham church minister and Bedford School governor", "Post Office scandal inquiry to be bolstered", "Post Office scandal: Postmasters to get up to 100,000", "Ex-Post Office chief should be stripped of CBE over Horizon scandal, union says", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paula_Vennells&oldid=1141500695, Commanders of the Order of the British Empire, People educated at Manchester High School for Girls, Pages containing London Gazette template with parameter supp set to y, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with failed verification from April 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 10:44. Again, I would like to know why and what due diligence was done on her as an individual. Updated 11:19, 26 APR 2021. Paula Vennells gave the keynote speech at this year's Faith in Business conference at Ridley Hall. Why Does Elisa Have Diabetes Amplify, Its almost as if your head has to be got round it all over again, every single time you go there. . Read about our approach to external linking. They were financially ruined, put out of work, locally shunned, driven into poor health and addiction, saw their marriages destroyed. She became Chief Executive on 1 April 2012. After resigning, she went on to work as associate minister in the Diocese of St Albans. Paula . But the missing money was found to be caused by a glitch in the Horizon system. The 62-year-old softly spoken mother of two worked for good causes (the plight of Latin American street children was particularly close to her heart) and was a trustee of Hymns Ancient & Modern, a charity devoted to the advancement and promotion of religion. Paula Vennells, who oversaw the litigation for years, was awarded a CBE for services to the Post Office. In memory of Shyanu Parathasangary Post Office colleague killed in 7/7 terrorist attack. But the Post Office "consistently asserted that Horizon was robust and reliable" and "effectively steamrolled over any sub-postmaster who sought to challenge its accuracy". Paula Vennells walked away with around 5 million in pay and bonuses during her seven years at the helm of the Post Office. At the time, Little Britains Carol Beer worked as a bank teller or holiday rep; now, computer-says-no culture runs the world. Im like that with the Post Office scandal, which as of this week is the subject of an active public inquiry. Paula Vennells, 62, who ran the Post Office between 2012 and 2019, was awarded a CBE at the end of her tenure for 'services to the Post Office and to charity', a year before the first group of . She met her husband John at the university dinghy club, The Times reports. Here we summarise the main points of what she said, as well as giving a short biographical introduction. "If you can sell something to somebody that they actually need, then it is a service," says Vennells. Published. But it wont take a police investigation to uncover the terrible injustice of it all. Paula . Number of Boards. An evening with Marina Hyde and John Crace: Join in person or onlineJoin Marina Hyde and John Crace live in Kings Place, looking back at the latest events in Westminster.On Monday 7 March, 8pm GMT | 9pm CET | 12pm PST | 3pm EST. Ms Vennells said: "It is obvious that my involvement with the Post Office has become a distraction from the good work undertaken by the boards I serve. The Horizon IT system, installed by the Post Office in branches across the UK, was flawed from the start. But first, the headlines: 1. Paula Vennells, who earned 3.7million over six years as chief executive at the Post Office, yesterday quit the boards of supermarket chain Morrisons and homewares firm Dunelm. 3. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Ms Vennells has been appointed from 1 April 2019 until 31 March 2023 and will receive remuneration of 60,000 per annum. The witch-hunt that destroyed so many lives reached a denouement last week when 39 of those convicted were cleared of all charges in the Court of Appeal, a victory that could pave the way for more similar verdicts. Vennells has since said she is "truly sorry" and has quit her positions with the NHS and the Cabinet Office. The Bishop of St Albans, the Right Reverend Dr Alan Smith, said that his father had been a sub-postmaster, adding: " I express my distress at the miscarriage of justice that so many sub-postmasters have suffered. VideoRussian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims, The children left behind in Cuba's mass exodus, Snow, Fire and Lights: Photos of the Week. We welcome the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry and hope it provides a full explanation of how the failings of the Horizon IT system led to such appalling treatment of subpostmasters.. Chief Executive Officer & Director at Post Office Ltd. Overview. [23] Vennells had been due to appear before a parliamentary select committee to answer questions about the scandal on 24 March 2020, but this was cancelled due to the coronavirus crisis and MPs' questions were dealt with in writing. According to Channel 4 and the BBC, this matter is the biggest miscarriage of justice in British history. A plate glass university, . Below is the list of 53 notable alumni from the University of Bradford sorted by their wiki pages popularity. Being a well-known and hard-working woman, Paula Vennells has been featured on Wikipedia, where we can learn about her career & works. University of Nevada, Reno. Categories . 17 Feb 2023 19:23:04 Paula Anne Vennells. THE now infamous Paula Vennells isn't just the disgraced former chief executive of the Post Office who allowed Britain's biggest ever miscarriage of justice to continue to take place on her watch. Under her leadership, the Post Office prosecuted hundreds of subpostmasters for fraud, despite knowing that the financial discrepancies were actually arising from computer errors for which her own company was responsible. They have two children, Luke, 25, and Edward, 23. . Former Post Office boss quits boards of Dunelm and Morrisons Skip to main content She graduated in French and Russian. On Monday 7 June 2021 a panel of wise minds gathered remotely at an event hosted by University College London's Faculty of Law to discuss "Justice for Subpostmasters in the Post Office case". THE REVEREND PAULA ANNE VENNELLS is a Chief Executive Officer The Post Office from Bradford West Yorkshire. It came up at one of the working group meetings, at which you and I were present, he replied. Even simply listing every individual injustice in the sparsest possible terms would take far more space than I have available; at even cursory depth, every single story is utterly heartbreaking and utterly extraordinary. Paula Vennells was managing director of the Post Office from 2010 to 2012 and chief executive from 2012 to 2019. . 7 February 2019. BBC. Lord Justice Holroyde said the Post Office "knew there were serious issues" and had a "clear duty to investigate".