Significant Strides
Post & Parcel speaks to Jan Van Roey, Head of International at Poste Italiane, about the operator’s plans for international expansion, developing a “super app” and leveraging technology and sustainability to drive growth.
What drew you to Poste Italiane?
Poste Italiane is a very successful, financially strong company with an excellent senior management team, so when two and a half years ago I was asked to join Poste Italiane to strengthen its international presence, I was very enthusiastic to become part of the team. While we are a highly profitable and diversified company—with the placement and distribution of financial products and services by BancoPosta, an insurance arm, and Italy’s largest payment provider—our international operations have been relatively small compared to some other postal operators.
I joined to support this drive for international growth. One notable step taken before my arrival was the acquisition of the Chinese company Sengi, which is certainly a strength we have in the international business and which is part of the business unit I oversee. With our strong foundation in diversification, the next logical step is to enhance our international footprint.
What are your key priorities?
Our goal is to expand our reach by developing new markets, acquiring new customers, and introducing new products to better serve the international market. This expansion works in both directions—inbound to Italy and outbound from Italy, as well as from China to Italy and other countries.
We are focusing on identifying new opportunities and increasing our commercial presence. Like all postal operators, we have connections to various countries, our core commercial activity is centred on shipments to and from Italy, but we are also successful in providing services to other countries. Like most operators nowadays we also have a large number of European accounts that manage direct injections into the Italian market.
Are there any specific countries you are aiming for?
We recently launched new services through a strategic collaboration with DHL eCommerce.This initiative allows us to receive shipments from anywhere in Europe and deliver them to Italy and also offer a new outbound service whereby we pick-up in Italy and DHL eCommerce delivers across the whole of Europe , thus strengthening our position in the Cross-Border EU market. Now, we are preparing for the next phase: expanding beyond Europe, with a focus on the UK and the US and with our Chinese flows we are also expanding our coverage of other countries outside Italy
What are the advantages of doing business in Italy?
Italy is one of Europe’s largest economies, with a population of around 60 million. While the country is home to many globally recognised brands, the market is also composed of many SMEs, offering significant opportunities for collaboration and growth.
How is Poste Italiane adapting to the changing demands of cross-border e-commerce?
I firmly believe in strong partnerships rather than building everything from scratch—it simply takes too long. That’s why we are prioritising collaborations while ensuring we have the right systems and data to support these efforts.
How is Poste Italiane investing in technology to address these challenges?
Technology and innovation are crucial for us. We have AI specialists embedded across our business, driving advancements in various areas.
We strongly believe in the concept of ‘phygital,’ which is a combination of digital and physical elements. This is something we really focus on. For example, we are investing in our post offices, even as the use of traditional postal services decreases. While some postal services are reducing their physical presence, we are enhancing ours by combining physical spaces with digital tools. This approach allows us to provide a fully integrated experience, where both digital and physical elements work together. Instead of choosing one over the other, we aim to create a seamless, ‘phygital’ experience.”
Can you give me an example of this?
A key example is our app ‘Poste Italiane’ which integrates postage, banking, and insurance into a single platform, allowing customers to manage everything seamlessly without switching between apps to access banking services or send a shipment.
How important is ease and convenience for Italian consumers?
That’s exactly what consumers want. We have as an example a project called ‘Polis,’ which aims to transform post offices into community centres. People can do everything from opening a bank account to getting their electricity bill or passport, all at the post office. The aim is to make it easy and convenient for people, especially in rural areas where services are often sparse.
How long do you think it will take to get Italy up to the level of more developed markets in e-commerce?
We’re moving quickly. We have for instance a target to roll out 3,000 lockers in Italy by the end of this year. We’re already making significant progress, having launched a new company for this effort, which is a joint venture with DHL.
What role does sustainability play in overcoming logistical challenges such as reducing emissions?
Sustainability is a key priority for us, and it’s something driven from the top. We’ve made significant progress, like increasing the number of electric vehicles and solar panels we use. In Europe, we also collaborate with other postal companies on sustainability initiatives. We score very high in sustainability, and we take real action—not just talk.
What key projects are you excited about?
There are many, but to pick one: last year, we launched a new division called Poste Logistics dedicated to logistics, warehousing, and fulfilment. This initiative is a key part of our strategy to expand our logistics business even further. We’re seeing strong growth in this area, and it will remain a major focus for us moving forward.
What might surprise people about Poste Italiane?
Poste Italiane has done a fantastic job in diversification and this made it a very profitable company, also compared to some other postal companies, especially since we also operate in placement and distribution of financial products and services, payments and insurance. It’s something that might surprise people, as most people outside Italy might still think of Poste Italiane as a traditional postal company, but we’ve managed to diversify successfully.
You will be hosting WMX Europe in Rome this June – what key insights would you like delegates to take away about Poste Italiane?
As per the previous comments , I want delegates to know that Poste Italiane is a successful, highly diversified company which is also becoming very international. While we were not very present in the international market, we’re now making significant strides and our “Phygital” approach is attracting a lot of attention from other companies which want to learn from this approach.
