SWISS POST’S RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
This article is an extract from the Winter Edition of MER Magazine published in November 2019. You can read the full article as well as other articles from MER for free by visiting digital.mailandexpressreview.com.
MER speaks to Swiss Post’s CEO Roberto Cirillo speaks to Mail & Express Review from his office in the political centre of Switzerland – Bern – about the company’s bid for entrepreneurial freedom and his commitment to make Swiss Post more relevant.
What drew you to Swiss Post?
Swiss Post is a unique company that is well established among the Swiss population. That fascinated me right from day one. At Swiss Post it’s not just about economic viability, but also the benefits to society. Swiss Post is part of the fabric of Switzerland and supports our country’s development. And I want to make my own contribution.
What have you learnt about the company since you started?
Since joining Swiss Post at the beginning of April 2019, I’ve spent time getting to know the company and its DNA. During these 20 weeks I’ve gathered impressions from nearly 30 visits, and I’ve met hundreds of our employees on the front line, as well as local management. I’ve been impressed by these encounters and the commitment shown by staff. And more importantly, I’ve been able to get to grips with Swiss Post’s own situation. The reality is much more varied and complex than it appears from the outside. Swiss Post is deeply rooted in Switzerland, both in the economy and society as a whole, and it provides outstanding logistics services thanks to its state-of-the-art facilities.
How does the geography of Switzerland impact on how Swiss Post is run?
I’d say that alongside Swiss Post’s employees, it defines the company’s DNA, because our universal service obligation is based on the geography of the country. Swiss Post guarantees a universal service in payment
transactions and in transporting people, letters, parcels and newspapers. The company needs to provide a nationwide network of access points to guarantee that a high-quality universal service is available to all population groups in every region within a reasonable distance. As part of its universal service obligation, Swiss Post transports a parcel to Zermatt or to the Val Poschiavo just as quickly and for the same price as a parcel to Zurich, for instance. And for many people in mountain regions, PostBus is the gateway to the world, because we connect remote areas with conurbations.
This article is an extract from the Winter Edition of MER Magazine published in November 2019. You can read the full article as well as other articles from MER for free by visiting digital.mailandexpressreview.com.
Swiss Post are proudly sponsoring the World Mail & Express (WMX) Europe Conference 2020. WMX Europe is taking place 16-18 June 2020, in Tallinn, Estonia.
Visit www.wmxeurope.com for more information.
