A former boss of the outsourcing group Interserve, who turned concerned within the authorities’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, is the frontrunner to turn out to be the subsequent chair of the Co-op Group.

Sky News has learnt that Debbie White is the main candidate to exchange Allan Leighton on the helm of Britain’s greatest mutual.

If confirmed, Ms White would turn out to be solely the second feminine chair within the Co-op’s historical past, which may be traced again almost 180 years.

Her appointment would place her on the prime of an organisation with greater than 5 million members, making it one of many world’s largest shopper co-operatives.

Its operations embrace the UK’s fifth-largest meals retail enterprise, whereas additionally it is a serious participant within the British funeralcare sector and retains a presence within the authorized companies and insurance coverage markets.

Ms White, whose earlier roles embrace working the UK arm of Sodexo, the contract caterer, just lately had a stint in a senior human assets position at BT Group.

During the pandemic, she performed an essential half in establishing the community of testing centres that fashioned a part of the federal government’s response to the unfolding disaster.

She now sits on numerous public firm boards, together with that of Howden Joinery Group and Spire Healthcare.

Ms White’s appointment on the Co-op Group could possibly be introduced as early as Thursday morning.

She would substitute Mr Leighton, considered one of Britain’s best-known businessmen, who has held the position since 2015.

Mr Leighton was parachuted into the position within the aftermath of the largest disaster within the mutual’s historical past, with its future forged into doubt two years earlier by funding and governance challenges.

The Co-op was left reeling in 2013 when it emerged that its banking arm was dealing with a £1.5bn black gap because it tried to amass greater than 630 branches from Lloyds Banking Group.

The financial institution’s chairman, Paul Flowers, was subsequently uncovered by a tabloid newspaper as a serial drug-user, plunging the Co-op identify deeper into disaster even because it surrendered management of its excessive avenue lending arm to American hedge funds.

Separate impartial inquiries led by Lord Myners, the previous City minister, and Sir Christopher Kelly, a former civil servant, concluded that there was a necessity for an pressing overhaul of the Co-op’s governance, board construction and array of business actions.

There was additional turmoil on the prime of the mutual in 2014 when Euan Sutherland – now chief govt of Saga – stop because the group’s chief govt after particulars of his pay package deal have been leaked to the media.

Mr Sutherland was changed by Richard Pennycook, a former director of Wm Morrison, the grocery store chain.

Since that point, Co-op members have voted to approve reforms together with lowering the variety of lay administrators on its board and the appointment of a majority of impartial administrators.

Under Mr Leighton, the group has remodeled its efficiency and governance.

It has raised roughly £1bn from the sale of its petrol retail chain, pharmacies and the majority of its insurance coverage operations.

The Co-op declined to touch upon Wednesday.