David Smith is new UK Post Office chief

Royal Mail has appointed David Smith managing director of the UK Post Office. Smith will relinquish his role as managing director of Parcelforce Worldwide.

Smith has been with Parcelforce since 2002 and has been managing director of the business since 2007.

Both as managing director, and in his previous role as finance director, he played a pivotal role in the turnaround of Parcelforce, transforming it from a loss-making business into a profitable one and establishing its position as a leading player in the highly competitive UK express parcels market, said a company statement.

Royal Mail Group chairman, Donald Brydon, said: “I am absolutely delighted that Dave is to take the helm at Post Office Ltd. His dynamism, commercial expertise and leadership skills are exactly what POL needs to take it through the next phase of its development.

“He has built a strong and stable team at Parcelforce and his experience in the parcels business will be hugely important as all parts of Royal Mail Group work increasingly closely to exploit this growing part of our market.”

Smith will take up his new role in early April while at the same time Dick Stead, who is currently sales and marketing director of Parcelforce, will become acting managing director of the parcels company.

Royal Mail said it will make a further announcement about Smith’s successor at Parcelforce in due course.