GeoPost lips zipped as Begle quits
French parcels carrier GeoPost was tight-lipped at the weekend about the surprise departure of Claude Begle, chief executive of Geopost International Management and Development, for arch rival DHL Express.
Geopost, a subsidiary of French postal organisation La Poste, declined to say when and why he had left the company.
Journalists were referred to the announcement made by DHL last Monday concerning Mr Begle’s appointment as chief operating officer for DHL Express Germany and DHL Express Central Europe.
The communications manager for GeoPost, Marion Egal, would say only that it was Mr Begle who had chosen to leave the company and not the company which had decided to dispense with his services.
She added that the company’s management team would be reorganised as a result of the departure and an announcement regarding this would be made ‘a bit later’.
‘Our feeling here is that GeoPost management are handling the situation as it is,’ she said, ‘International development is going on.’
DHL seemed to be pleased with its catch, however, pointing out that 56-year-old Mr Begle had ‘spent several years successfully building an international network and managing the GeoPost international division’.
It noted in particular Mr Begle’s chairmanship of DPD, which he had promised would be made a worldwide system within Geopost with investment over the next few years of up to €1bn ($1.3bn).
DHL said that Mr Begle would be reporting to Peter Kruse, a member of the Deutsche Post World Net management board and chief executive of DHL Express Europe.
One industry newsletter speculated, however, that he could be being groomed for a ‘much higher role’.
This latest influx of non-German senior management comes as DHL prepares for the arrival of Exel chief executive John Allan, who will head the new logistics division and lead the integration.
