Ex-Thomas Cook boss Harriet Green to donate £3m in shares to charity
Former Thomas Cook boss Harriet Green has said she'll donate a third of her forthcoming share award to a charity chosen by the parents of two children who died in one of its hotels Corfu in 2006.
"I have now reached out to the parents of Bobby and Christi Shepherd," she told Reuters.
"On the basis that Thomas Cook are due to give me seven million shares in July, I have told the parents that I will donate one third of that seven million to a charity of their choice."
Robert and Christianne Shepherd died from fumes leaked by a faulty boiler at the Louis Corcyra beach hotel – booked through Thomas Cook.
The holiday firm was cleared of responsibility in 2010 and awarded damages against the hotel’s owner. However, an inquest found last week it had “breached its duty of care”.
The company was also roundly condemned for winning £3m in compensation over the deaths, later donated to charity, while the parents received £350,000 each.
Green stepped down in November after two years at the helm of Thomas Cook and had been set to collect seven million Thomas Cook shares – worth £1.47 each – under a pay deal struck in 2012.
However, there's since been pressure to review her £10.5m payout amid mounting criticism over the group's handling of the tragedy.
Business leaders heaped criticism on the company with influential business group the Institute of Directors (IoD) saying "those of us who champion business need to be critical when companies mess up".
Meanwhile consumers threatened to boycott the company, while leading parents’ website Mumsnet pulled Thomas Cook adverts from the site after a backlash from users.