Post Office CEO Nick Read announces his departure

Nick Read, Post Office CEO

Nick Read, the Post Office Chief Executive, is standing down at the end of March next year.

In an email to Subpostmasters (first picked by the ever-vigilant Sky News City Editor, Mark Kleinman) Read wrote: “it has been a privilege to work with you during what has been a challenging and difficult time for the business”.

The Postmaster who forwarded me Read’s email did so with two words: “As expected.”

Read is not currently doing his day job, having stood aside as CEO in July order to work on his evidence to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry and “demonstrate the changes we have made and give confidence to the Inquiry and the country at large that ‘nothing like this could happen again’.”

The Inquiry begins its final phase next week, with Read scheduled to give evidence over three days from 9 – 11 October.

In his email today, Read said:

“I have been discussing my plans with the new Chair [Nigel Railton] since he arrived in May. It is clear that the execution of the strategic review will require a 3-5 year commitment and, whilst it has been an enormous privilege to serve and I have great affection for the business, it feels like the right time for a leadership transition.

“It is a natural time to initiate change. I will have steered the business to the end of the formal evidence gathering phases of the Inquiry, as I committed to doing to the Secretary of State in March. We will have concluded our strategic review and spending review and we will have made significant progress with redress.”

Read’s five year tenure will be remembered for his failure to get a grip of the various redress schemes set up to help Subpostmasters ruined by his predecessors, his apparent inability to either motivate or work with other Post Office execs (see this Daily Telegraph article for more) and his alleged total focus on getting himself a pay rise above all other distractions, something he also failed to achieve.

Read finished his email today by saying:

“There is no question that the settlement of the Group Litigation Order in late 2019 was the catalyst for change… of course, there remains much to be done.  I am extremely aware that our heartfelt apology cannot be said too loudly nor too often, but it must continue to be backed up with concrete actions and ongoing change.

“I am confident that the addition of serving Postmasters on our Board for the first time in our 360 year history, will continue to shape the culture, and ensure in time that you are able to reap greater rewards from the excellent work you do across the length and breadth of this country every day.”

When he stepped down to focus on the Inquiry, Deputy CEO Owen Woodley took over the day-to-day running of the Post Office. Woodley has left already for personal reasons, handing over the reins to Neil Brocklehurst, who worked with Nigel Railton at Camelot.

Assuming Brocklehurst lasts until March next year (which he probably will, with Railton in his corner), he would be a shoo-in to get the job permanently.


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11 responses to “Post Office CEO Nick Read announces his departure”

  1. Hi Nick

    Thank you for your excellent work on the Post Office scandal.

    I tried to contact you through the form but was unable to.

    In light of the appalling Mohammed Al-Fayed allegations I suggest you look again at the Cash for Questions scandal where Al-Fayed colluded with Guardian journalists to defame and utterly destroy the MP Neil Hamilton, committing perjury in the process.

    For starters, look at the YouTube channel of Jonathan Boyd Hunt, a journalist who’s covered the scandal. His videos about it are called Cover-up at the Guardian. Boyd has also published a book about it.

    I find Boyd’s evidence compelling. It’s high time this terrible injustice is uncovered and that might be easier now that Al-Fayed has been discredited.

  2. “Work on his evidence”

    Surely he’s having a laugh, exactly how long does it take to come up with “I don’t recall” or
    “nothing to do with me” ?

    Given the selective memory loss of his senior staff at the enquiry I doubt they’ll be able to recall
    his name let alone chip in for a leaving present.

  3. Love your posts, Nick, having bought your book and followed events closely thereafter.

  4. Do we know what this guy has been paid whilst ‘standing aside’ for 3 months to prepare for giving three days of evidence ?. Most of this should already be front and center in his mind. This was his day job , after all !. He will only be asked to account for what has happened on his own watch, which should not be so difficult to prepare for as it is very recent history

  5. Quote ”We will have concluded our strategic review and spending review and we will have made significant progress with redress.”

    Gosh, that’s not what was said at recent awards where postmasters lined up to show just how many HADN’ T received any recompense at all!!!

    I did expect he would resign in fact surely he did that when he left to spend more attention on th inquiry which he should have spent on investigating the disaster as it was occurring. he is part of the problem with no solutions worthy of praise……………………..

    Thank you Nick for updates, still hoping proper compensation will soon be delivered to those campaigners who for sure deserve so much respect for their incredible resilience in the face of such appalling insulting offensive, disgraceful treatment.

  6. Over the months of the Inquiry there have been numerous comments suggesting prison sentences for many who have contributed to this scandal. In the light of the recent Huw Edwards lenient sentence and the evacuating of prisons by this government I am not holding my breath that justice will be done.

  7. The old saying ‘Fine words butter no parsnips’ springs to mind.
    And that’s putting it mildly.

  8. Nick Read should stand trial for attempting to pervert the course of justice and blowing hundreds of millions of public money on lawyers to protect all of the crooks who serve under him. Like Vennells, he doesn’t say a single word which is believable – ever.

    1. 100% correct

  9. Im guessing that SPM NEDs Saf and Eliott will not be giving a rousing endorsement NR’s work and accomplishments in evidence to Sir Wyn next week?

  10. Thanks for the post Nick..

    Glad to here this as expected and have always thought Nick Read was in fact still part of the problem..

    Good riddance….

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