Introduction
Paula Anne Vennells, CBE, FRSA (born 1959) is a British businesswoman and Anglican priest. She was Chief Executive officer of the Post Office Limited from 2012 to 2019 before assuming the chair of Imperial College Healthcare Trust, one of the largest NHS hospital groups.
Early life and education
Vennells was born on 1959, and grew up in Denton, Lancashire. Having won a funded place, she was educated at the Manchester High School for Girls, an all-girls independent school in Manchester. She then studied Russian and French at the University of Bradford, graduating in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree.
Career
Vennells began her career as a graduate trainee at Unilever in 1981. She went on to work for L'Oreal, Dixons Retail, Argos, and Whitbread.
In 2007, she joined the Post Office as Group Network Director. On1 April 2012, she became its Chief Executive Officer. During her time as CEO, the Post Office has gone from losing £120 million a year to making a profit, but has paid out £58,000,000 to sub-postmasters who were awarded compensation for false prosecutions that had been based on evidence from the botched Horizon IT system.
In 2019 she took over as chair of Imperial College Healthcare Trust which runs St Mary's, Hammersmith, Queen Charlotte's, Charing Cross and the Western Eye Hospital in north-west London.
Ordained ministry
From 2002 to 2005, Vennells trained for Holy Orders on the St Albans and Oxford Ministry Course. She was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 2005 and as a priest in 2006. Since ordination, she has served as a non-stipendiary minister at Church of St Owen, Bromham in the Diocese of St Albans.
Honours
In the 2019 New Year Honours, she was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) "for services to the Post Office and to charity".