Richard John Pennycook (born February 1964) was chief executive officer of the

Co-operative Group The Co-operative Group Limited, trading as Co-op and formerly known as the Co-operative Wholesale Society, is a British consumer cooperative, consumer co-operative with a group of retail businesses, including grocery retail and wholesale, leg ...

. Pennycook took the position as CEO in 2014 after being named Chief Financial Officer in 2013. In 2013, he became

Chairman The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...

The Hut Group THG plc, formerly The Hut Group, is a British e-commerce retail company headquartered in Manchester, England. It sells own-brand and third-party cosmetics and dietary supplements online. In January 2025, it demerged its technology and logistic ...

, an online retailer in North-West England with multiple brands. In 2016, he received The Retail Leader of the Year award at the prestigious Retail Week Awards. In February 2017, Pennycook stepped down as CEO of The Co-operative Group after three years at the helm, with Steve Murrells (previously CEO of Co-op Food division) taking charge. Pennycook was appointed

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(CBE) in the

2020 Birthday Honours The Queen's Birthday Honours for 2020 are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded ...

for services to retail.

References

Living people British chief executives 1964 births Place of birth missing (living people) Commanders of the Order of the British Empire {{UK-business-bio-1960s-stub