Monday 30th September 2024
The Heart of England Co-operative Society’s chief executive has retired after 42 years’ sterling service, including nearly 20 at the helm.
It marks the end of an extraordinary career for Ali Kurji who has been a prominent figure in the West Midlands business community for decades.
As he bowed out, Ali reflected on the fact that he was also the longest serving member of staff in an organisation employing nearly 800 people across its food and funeral divisions.
“That I have spent more than 40 wonderful years with the Heart of England Co-op and have gone past my normal retirement date shows just how much I have treasured my time here.
“It’s been a very special part of my life, but the time is right for me to pass on the baton –
and I do so with the knowledge that the Society is in robust financial health. Its future is now in the safe hands of an excellent management team backed by a fully supportive board.”
Ali, who was appointed chief executive in 2004, has a remarkable back story. Born in the Ugandan capital of Kampala, he arrived in Britain alone in 1968 to train as an accountant.
Initially, he intended to return to work in the family’s importing and wholesale business, but Idi Amin put paid to that. In 1972, the brutal dictator expelled the Indian minority and Ali’s plans were dashed.
While his parents and siblings fled to Tanzania to escape Amin’s tyranny, Ali decided to forge a new life in this country.
Recalling that time, he says: “I had never been out of Africa before. I was only 17 and it was quite daunting coming to a distant land where I knew nobody. I just had to get on with it and work as hard as I could.
“I came from a very close family. It was tough being told I would have to leave Uganda and travel to the UK on my own. However, I appreciated that my parents and my brothers were determined that I should become educated and have a good profession.”
It was while working as an auditor in Manchester that Ali became interested in the ethos of the co-operative movement. When The Co-operative offered him a job in Coventry, he had no hesitation in accepting.
The Society’s tradition of giving back to the community remained close to Ali’s heart throughout his career.
As he climbed the ladder, he made it his mission to help as many charities and organisations as he could, both personally and professionally.
When Ali later returned to Uganda to reclaim his family’s lost assets, he donated the entire fortune, worth around £35,000 at the time, to poor people in India.
“This is something which was instilled in me by my dad. Every Friday in Africa, underprivileged people would come out and my dad would give me money and tell me half was for me and half was for them.
“He raised me to be a strong believer that what I earn is not all mine. It needs to be shared out.”
In 1982, he joined the then Coventry and District Co-operative as a management accountant, progressing to accountant, general manager (finance), financial controller and secretary, deputy chief executive and finally chief executive.
Under his watch, the Society embarked on a steady expansion programme, dramatically increasing its operation and turnover which rose from £75m to £105m during his tenure.
He says his biggest achievements were carrying out multi-million capital projects without any external borrowings, and delivering increased growth in sales and profitability.
Today, it is the largest independent retailer in Coventry and Warwickshire with a net worth in excess of £53m. In 2023, during one of the most challenging trading climates the Society has ever faced, it still recorded a £3.7m profit.
The Heart of England Co-op’s continued success enabled it to considerably up its financial support for local communities.
“It’s what sets us apart from giant plcs whose prime objective is to bolster the wallets of shareholders. We are rooted in our communities with the fundamental aim of giving back to them,” Ali points out.
To celebrate the change of name to the Heart of England Co-operative at the turn of the 21st century, the Society launched its Helping Hearts award scheme. The initial donation pot was £50,000 with another £50,000 pledged for the first year – all from Society profits.
The scheme has since gifted around £1.3m to thousands of worthwhile causes in the Society’s trading area and continues today.
After witnessing the incredible difference which the Helping Hearts initiative made in the community, Ali went one step further. In 2011, he announced a new corporate charity scheme, with colleagues actively fundraising for a chosen cause, typically for two years at a time. That project galvanised staff and has raised £200,000 to date, with Macmillan Cancer Support being the latest beneficiary.
During the pandemic Ali again stepped up the Heart of England Co-op’s contribution to the community, with an extra £50,000 shared out among good causes. Among those to benefit were food poverty charity FareShare, food banks across Coventry and Warwickshire, India’s COVID appeal and NHS Charities Together.
In a boost for thousands of shoppers at the Society’s food stores, members’ rewards were also increased from two to three per cent during the toughest of times.
“Our rewards scheme is already generous but during such unprecedented times we felt it was important to give our customers an even bigger return on what they spend with us.”
Ali’s mantra of ‘people before profits’ extended to his colleagues and this was no more evident than during the pandemic. Staff discounts on food shopping were doubled to 20 per cent, while a sponsored breakfast club provided free cereal, milk and bread. Sanitary products were given away too, and colleagues were able to buy unsold bakery and hot food items for just 10p.
The emergency support package attracted the attention of BBC TV with Ali interviewed about the measures on Midlands Today.
“It came at considerable expense to the Society in an exceptionally tough trading environment, but it showed how much we value our colleagues,” he adds.
“I’m not aware of any other company in our area which even came close to offering the level of support we did. I’m very proud of that.”
Ali is confident that the Heart of England Co-op will continue to thrive in an ever more challenging industry.
By the end of this year its network of food stores will total 38 and there is a programme of major refits and refreshes.
The funeral business too is growing, with 17 funeral homes in Coventry, Warwickshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.
Ali is especially proud of the Society’s commitment to the environment with millions of pounds being invested in eco-friendly initiatives, including solar power and energy efficient refrigeration systems.
Throughout his career he has been recognised for his contribution to the local community through countless awards and media coverage in both the regional and national press. He won the Coventry Telegraph’s highly coveted Lifetime Achievement Award and the Businessman of the Year in the Midland Business Awards.
The Society’s many accolades include Corporate Commitment to the Community in both the Midlands Business Awards and the Coventry Telegraph awards, Retail Business of the Year in the Coventry Live awards and Customer Service Excellence for the Society’s funeral division in the Leamington Business Awards.
In 2011, Ali was one of just four people shortlisted from 500 entries nationwide for the Platinum Award for the Business Person of the Year, in the prestigious Asian Achievers Awards.
In his spare time, Ali is actively involved in supporting his local community in Moseley, Birmingham where he has lived for 22 years. He has helped raise funds for groups and charities in the neighbourhood, as well as assisting and guiding young people with their education.
In addition to supporting an orphanage in the Middle East, Ali and his wife Ruksana have sponsored around a dozen children in India and have been regular contributors to good causes such as Save the Children and Oxfam.
“In the name of my late parents, I have donated money to numerous charities worldwide, particularly for water wells in Tanzania and Pakistan, along with sponsoring children’s education in Africa.”
Ali is a keen swimmer and walker and an enthusiastic cricket fan. He also likes to spend quality time with his wife and son Muhammed who recently graduated in economics from the University of Nottingham. The family loves travelling and has visited many European countries, as well as Africa, the Middle East, the Far East and the USA.
“I certainly won’t be twiddling my thumbs in retirement. Travel is especially important to me and I’m looking forward to having the time to visit more extraordinary places. Japan is one destination on my list.
“I’m sure whichever part of the world I find myself in, I’ll often reflect on how blessed I was to have enjoyed such an enriching career. I will always feel privileged to have been able to bring the advantages of the co-operative movement to an ever-increasing audience.
“I’ll look back on my professional life with so much gratitude and satisfaction.”
In a statement released to mark Ali’s retirement, Clive Miles, president of the Society’s board of directors, recognised his remarkable contribution:
“On behalf of the board and the staff, we would like to place on record our sincere thanks to Ali who has guided the Society through some momentous challenges, such as the Covid pandemic, Brexit, the Credit Crunch and the continuing cost of living crisis.
“It is rare in this day and age for someone to dedicate so much of their working life to one organisation. The Society has flourished and grown under his leadership, and he will leave a lasting imprint.”
Steve Browne, formerly general manager of the Society’s food division, has taken over as chief executive.
- Ali pictured with colleagues at the staff farewell lunch which was held at the Heart of England Co-op Support Centre in Foleshill, Coventry.