team of between seven and twelve people who are responsible for overseeing the strategy of the business and for holding the executive management team to account. The Group Board is made up of: a Group Chair; either one or two executive directors appointed from the Executive Management Team; up to five Independent Non-Executive Directors who are not affiliated with the group; and up to four Member-Nominated Directors. Member Nominated Directors (MNDs) are any people from within the membership group who nominate themselves and have the required level of commercial experience. The National Members' Council The Members' Council is an elected group of one hundred people who hold the Group Board to account and acts as the guardian of the co-operative Values and Principles. Members of the Co-op, its employees and representatives of the 'independent societies' make up the Members' Council. The council is led by an elected Council president, Denise Scott-McDonald who chairs council meetings. Current members include Nick Crofts and former MEP David Hallam. The Leadership Teams Details of those people who are members of the Group Board and the Group Executive are provided here. Details are correct as of 2016. Group Board Group Executive Executive remuneration The Annual Report cites a number of factors in determining executive pay, including "attracting, retaining and motivating senior Executives of the appropriate calibre to further the success of the Group" and "ensuring that the interests of Executives are aligned with those of the Group and its members". Former CEO Peter Marks was paid a basic salary of £1,014,000 in 2012, with a performance-related bonus of £103,000. The basic salaries of the thirteen executives adds up to £4,836,000, with their performance related bonuses adding up to £240,000. In March 2014, "private and confidential" documents seen by The Observer newspaper detailed proposals put before The Co-operative's board to double the wage bill for senior management to £12 million a year, whereby the chief executive Euan Sutherland would earn a base salary of £1.5 million and a "retention bonus" of £1.5 million. The Observer also reported that Rebecca Skitt, the Co-op's chief human resources officer, who joined in February 2013, left 12 months later "with a proposed pay-off totalling more than £2M". Member Owner Governance Structure 2007 to 2015 Between the creation of The Co-operative Group in 2000 and the major governance changes of 2014–2015, the Group had a complex governance arrangement which consisted of