Jill Clark

I have been a Non-Executive Director of the Channel Islands Cooperative Society for six years.  I have thoroughly enjoyed working closely with the senior team and other Board members and hope I have helped contribute to the success of our Coop. I am very passionate about the society and the need to make decisions that add long term value to the Coop, whilst putting our members first. I very much hope I can continue this work for another term. With 25 years of retail experience, specialising in customer service and people development, I believe I make a positive difference to the Society. I constantly challenge the senior team to not only improve the daily experience for customers and store colleagues, but also the long-term success of our Coop.

What have I achieved as a NED so far?
During my time on the Coop Board, I have been part of the Recruitment & Remuneration Committee (RemCo) and now Chair this committee.  An achievement I am proud of is working with the board to adopt a transparent and equitable pay strategy. Our valued store colleagues saw their basic salary increase and now also receive healthcare cover. The distribution of potential bonuses has also shifted in favour of our colleagues. The wage ratio (highest paid person’s income as a multiple of the lowest paid person’s income) has dropped by more than 50%, reducing from 23 to 1 to 11 to 1. 

During my six years on the Coop Board, I have focused on making sure that our members and colleagues are at the forefront of all governance decisions made by the Society.  My area of expertise is customer service and people development; my key belief is that valuing and focusing on people will translate into happier customers. No matter what we discuss, I never want the Board to forget that our colleagues and customers are the most important part of our business - and I am not afraid to challenge decisions to make sure this happens.

My background and skills:
My background is varied, but I have a lot of experience to bring to the Society:
• Using my experience in customer service I work with local organisations large and small to develop customer service strategies and work with their teams to deliver them. 
• I have spoken about customer satisfaction at conferences in the UK and Europe.
• I lecture at the GTA University Centre and Guernsey Institute delivering courses on leadership management, mentoring, managing change, customer service and several other courses all focused on helping individuals improve their personal skills.
• I have worked in retail and customer services for over 25 years, including being the Director of Customer Service at Specsavers.  
• I am a Non-Exec Director of Island FM.
• I was elected as a Jurat of the Royal Court of Guernsey in 2023. I sit on Royal Court cases and are one of a panel of Jurats acting as a judge of fact in both civil and criminal cases.  

Why vote for me?
As a member of the Channel Islands Co-operative Board, I aim to continue working with the management team to ensure that the Society’s vision, mission and values (cooperation, openness, passion, empowerment and recognition) are delivered.  I want to ensure that our care for colleagues is continued and developed.  Focusing on the skills and welfare of employees will mean that the Society’s colleagues can then focus on their customers.

My qualifications:
Doctorate in science (honoris causa) and a Bachelor’s degree from Hull University.   
Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Henley Management College.  
Level 5 Certificate of Education & Training from Brighton University, through the Guernsey College of Further Education.  
Institute of Directors Diploma in Company Direction.  (My IOD work has formally taught me the importance of corporate governance and how to make the right business decisions.  It was well worth the time investment)

A bit about me
I have lived in Guernsey for nearly 30 years.  I am married to Russell who I met at university.  I have three amazing children aged 15, 17 and 19 as well as a dog called Tilly and ten chickens.
I am chair of local charity Changing Faces Channel Islands who support anyone with a visible disfigurement.  I am also chair of Face Equality International, a global charity campaigning for face equality and encouraging people not to judge individuals on their appearance.

Proposed by: Becky Link
Seconded by: Sarah Barrett