'Some call it woke but I completely disagree'

The Co-op Group's chief believes in putting people first

- SOPHIE HALLE-RICHARDS

WHEN Shirine Khoury-Haq lost her daughter shortly after giving birth, she couldn't begin to imagine how she'd function again - let alone return to work.

She and her husband had put themselves through years of fertility treatment to get to that point and Khoury-Haq almost died during labour, she revealed during an interview with the BBC.

Fortunately, her boss at the time handled her bereavement amazingly.

So, when she became the first female chief executive of the Cooperative Group last year, the decision to introduce special bereavement leave and unlimited fertility leave for parents, was obvious.