Shirine Khoury-Haq is a highly respected business leader, transformational CEO and motivational speaker renowned for her expertise in organisational change, crisis management and strategic leadership. As Group Chief Executive Officer of the Co-op Group, she has demonstrated an exceptional ability to navigate complex challenges, drive financial recovery and inspire meaningful business transformation. Her extensive experience across multinational organisations, combined with her commitment to innovation, inclusion and sustainability, makes her a compelling speaker for audiences seeking practical insights into leadership, resilience and long-term success.
Shirine graduated from The Australian National University with a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and Economics before completing an MBA at The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business in 1996. She subsequently became Finance and Operations Manager at McDonald's and Associate Partner at IBM, later completing a Postgraduate Diploma in Management and Leadership at the University of the West of England. In 2007, she joined Catlin as Group Head of Operations and UK Chief Operating Officer, before becoming Chief Operating Officer at Lloyd's in 2014. Joining the Co-op Group in 2019 as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Executive Servicer, she was appointed Group CEO in 2022. Under her leadership, net debt fell from £920 million to £55 million, underlying operating profit increased by 30% and membership grew from 4.2 million to 7.3 million. She also led the organisation's response to a major cyberattack in 2025.
Beyond her executive responsibilities, Shirine became a Non-Executive Director of Post Office Ltd in 2014 and Persimmon Homes in 2021. She co-chaired the UK's Net Zero Council under the Conservative government in 2023, reprising the role alongside Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband following its relaunch in 2025. Her influence has earned significant recognition, including first place in INvolve's '2025 Heroes Top 100 Women Executives' and PR Week's 'UK Business Communicators of the Year' rankings.
As a motivational speaker, Shirine brings first-hand experience of delivering measurable results while navigating uncertainty, financial pressures and operational disruption. Her talks explore business transformation, crisis leadership, artificial intelligence, digital technology and turnaround strategy, demonstrating how organisations can strengthen performance and embrace change. Drawing on her experience of rebuilding financial resilience, expanding customer membership and managing significant organisational threats, she equips audiences with actionable leadership strategies. Her ability to connect commercial success with responsible business practices makes her particularly valuable to executives, emerging leaders and organisations seeking sustainable growth and lasting impact.
