The appointment of Barker to the management team at the Co-Op comes as part of growth plans for the organisation’s Data and Loyalty team, and follows the refresh of its membership programme and launch of the Co-op app last year.

The Co-Op’s new head of CRM and CX will look to bolster the development of a new Data and Loyalty centre of excellence, bringing data, insight, membership, CRM and customer experience together to deliver more value to members, customers and communities.

Barker joins from the BBC, where he led CRM and digital engagement, and brings over 15 years’ experience in managing customer relationships.

Prior to his six-year tenure at the BBC, Barker held senior CRM positions at Orange UK (now EE), the Financial Times and Global Radio.

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“I couldn’t resist the opportunity to join such a purpose led organisation at this exciting time,” said Barker. “I’m looking forward to bringing my expertise to help develop their ambitious plans for membership and joined-up customer engagement across all channels and services.

“Co-op’s investment in data and tech, with a real commitment to the highest standards in customer experience, has really impressed me.

“Customer experience is an incredibly exciting space to be in right now as more and more businesses recognise the value of data-driven engagements.”

Charlotte Lock, director of Data and Loyalty at Co-op, commented: “Championing communities through the Co-op customers and members that live in them is critical to our vision of ‘Co-operating for a Fairer World’. We can do that even more effectively by building meaningful relationships and rewarding experiences.

“We’re thrilled Phil is joining the team, as his passion for insight and creativity really stood out coupled with a fantastic track record of leading teams to deliver rewarding customer journeys.”

To date, over a million Co-op Members have downloaded Co-op’s digital Membership app, while two million members have selected a local cause to support through membership.