Six postmasters in contention for two board director roles at Post Office

Six serving postmasters will be contesting the first ever election to become a non-executive director on the Post Office board.

Around 8,000 serving Postmasters as well as multiple partners will be voting to select up to two candidates from the below:

• Lee Dearn, Postmaster for Sydenham, Belfast, County Antrim
• Mukhtar Goraya, operates two Post Offices (New Eltham, London and Rosherville, Kent)
• Saf Ismail, operates six Post Offices (five in Lancashire – Blackpool Road, Bolton, Heywood, New Hall Lane, Plungington Road) and Farnworth, Greater Manchester
• Elliot Jacobs, operates seven Post Offices (five in London – Camden, Crouch End, East Finchley, Muswell Hill, Stoke Newington) and Hertford and Potters Bar in Hertfordshire
• Jasbir Parmar, Postmaster for Kempston, Bedfordshire
• Sarabjeet Soar, Postmaster for Styvechale, Warwickshire

The roles are created as part of the firm’s efforts to reset relationship with postmasters post the settlement in long-running Horizon case in December 2019.

“Having two serving postmasters on our Board sends the clearest signal yet of our determination to ensure Postmasters really are at the heart of our business. I am encouraged by the calibre of the six highly qualified candidates and look forward to an open and robust campaign over the three-week election period,” commented Nick Read, Post Office chief executive.

The final six candidates are shortlisted by an independent panel after independent recruitment specialists Green Park vetted initial applications to select 12 candidates. The panel that interviewed these 12 comprised James Lowman, chief executive of Association of Convenience Stores; Shirine Khoury-Haq, CFO at the Co-op Group; and Jean Church, council member at the Institute of Directors.

Voting will open at 9.30am on 22 March and run until 9.30am 12 April. Serving Postmasters who are eligible to vote will be sent a unique link which they will input on the dedicated microsite where they can cast their vote.

The microsite that will also feature video messages from the six candidates setting out why they should be elected will go live on 19 March. The election process is being overseen independently by Civica Elections Services.

Post Office said the two successful postmaster non-executive directors will be announced at the earliest opportunity following approval from the Business Secretary after the nominations committee of the board confirms the candidates.