Singapore Post promotes Wolfgang Baier to Group CEO

Singapore Post has promoted its CEO (International), Dr Wolfgang Baier, to become its new Group chief executive officer and board director, effective today. The appointment was part of a top-level managing restructuring that has seen Ng Hin Lee, 55, previously CEO of postal and corporate services, appointed as Group chief financial officer.

SingPost said it was making a number of changes to accelerate its regional growth and the diversification of its services. It follows on from a number of acquisitions and investments by the company in its Asian logistics and e-commerce activities over the past several months.

Other key appointments announced today will see Woo Keng Leong heading up SingPost’s postal business, while Loh Choo Beng will lead Retail and Financial Services, with Thijs Sommen taking charge for the company’s Logistics division.

SingPost said it is currently in the process of finalising appointments of its chief operations officer and head of e-commerce.

Lim Ho Kee, SingPost chairman, said the transformation of his company was a response to the impacts of e-substitution, lifestyle changes, technology advancements and market liberalisation affecting the entire postal industry over the past decade.

“Postal organisations, including SingPost, are struggling to sustain a declining mail business,” he said. “SingPost has ben fortunate to have started its transformation early, and we have benefitted from good GDP growth along with population growth.”

Baier

The newly-appointed Group chief executive will particularly focus on driving growth in logistics and e-commerce, the company said.

Baier, 37, has been CEO (International) since the last management reshuffle at SingPost in January. Previously, he had been working for the company on major initiatives for five years as a partner within global managing consulting firm McKinsey & Company, with whom he had worked for 10 years specialising in Western and Asian postal and logistics markets.

A native of Austria, Dr Baier holds a doctorate in law from the University of Vienna and masters degrees in law and business/economics from the universities of Exeter, in the UK, and Graz, Austria.

He was originally appointed earlier this year to lead non-mail business and drive SingPost’s regional expansion, which he will now take forward as Group CEO.

Lim said: “At this phase of the Group’s transformation, the Board recognises the need to strengthen the SingPost management as it broadens its horizons into new geographies and businesses.

“In the short term, we will need to invest in the right capabilities to build a diversified, regional business. The Board is confident that with a stronger management team in place, we will be able to build a sustainable business and create greater shareholder value in the longer term.”