Midcounties’ chief Reid receives OBE

Midcounties Co-operative Chief Executive Ben Reid

June 23 2010

Midcounties Co-operative Chief Executive Ben Reid has been awarded the OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

The award is for ‘services to business and to the community in Walsall’ for — as well as being a leading figure in the Co-op Movement — Mr Reid has played a key role in helping regenerate the Black Country town.

Last month, as chair of the Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust, he opened the Walsall Manor Hospital and a week later he was honoured by Walsall College, where a block in its Wisemore Campus was named after him.

Both are major projects promoted by Walsall Regeneration Company, of which Mr Reid was chairman for six years until he stepped down at the end of last year.

Mr Reid said he felt both “humble and flattered” to be nominated for an OBE. “When the letter came, it took me completely by surprise,” he explained. “It is the result of the community of Walsall putting me forward, and I thank them for that. When I first came to Walsall I was amazed by the resilience and kindness of people and that spurred me on when I was asked by John Prescott (then Deputy Prime Minister) to chair the regeneration company.”

Mr Reid moved to Walsall in 1988 on his appointment as Deputy Chief Executive of West Midlands Co-op, becoming Chief Executive in 1992. It later merged with the Oxford, Swindon and Gloucester Society to become Midcounties.

Added Mr Reid: “When I first joined, West Midlands Co-op was something of an ‘island’ and I made it one of my key objectives to make sure that, long-term, the society is really engaged with the local community.”

In addition to his responsibilities with Midcounties, Mr Reid is a Co-operative Group board member, a director of CFS, and past Chair of Co-operatives UK.