Former Thomas Cook boss Harriet Green has pledged to donate a third of her bonus, amounting to £3 million, to charity after facing a public backlash.
Thomas Cook has been widely criticised over its handling of the deaths of Bobby and Christi Shepherd, who were killed by carbon monoxide poisoning while on holiday in Corfu in 2006.
Green stands to collect a near £11 million bonus next month and the Mail on Sunday called Green’s handling of the aftermath of the children’s deaths “shameful”.
It quoted mother Sharon Wood saying: “Harriet Green has behaved shamefully towards us – she refused to meet us. She should hand this bonus back or pay it to children’s charities.”
Reports now claim that Green has pledged to donate part of her bonus.
She told Reuters that reports she had started the process to claim compensation for Thomas Cook were incorrect. She also said reports she had refused to meet the family of Bobby and Christi were incorrect.
“I believe that these assertions that have been made are false but I am a great believer in corporate social responsibility, in how businesses and people act, and this feels right to me.
“I have now reached out to the parents of Bobby and Christi Shepherd. 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.”
An inquest this month attributed Bobby and Christi’s deaths to “unlawful killing” and found Thomas Cook had breached its duty of care. Three staff at the hotel were convicted of the children’s manslaughter by a Greek court in 2010.
Green took over as Thomas Cook group chief executive in July 2012, almost six years after the children’s deaths. She stood down in late November 2014.