Industry Moves: Volly, Bell and Howell, MetaPack, LKE appointments

Rounding up some of the latest moves in the global mail and express industry, including appointments at Pitney Bowes, Bell and Howell, LKE and MetaPack.

Pitney Bowes’ Volly takes on another former Hearst executive

Pitney Bowes has hired another former Hearst Corporation digital guru to support development of its Volly digital mail service.

Joining Volly president Chuck Cordray, who was poached last year from Hearst Magazines Digital Media, is a new vice president of product management in the form of Christopher Johnson, who has spent time at an independent digital media consultancy after time at News Corporation’s UGO Entertainment, before which he held executive leadership roles at Hearst, launching 16 different consumer titles into the digital space, including Esquire, Good Housekeeping and Cosmopolitan.

Cordray said his new VP had a “wealth of knowledge” in the digital space. “His experience really complements the strategic direction in which we are moving as we prepare for launch and beyond,” said the president of Volly, which is expected to see its consumer launch this year.

MetaPack continues growth with business development appointment

London-based delivery management software company MetaPack has appointed a new sales and business development director, Rob Minns.

The company said Minns was previously sales director at one of the world’s largest business-to-business e-commerce service providers, GXS. With 20 years of experience at GXS, he was ultimately responsible for 13,000 customers and an annual revenue about $100m.

Minns joins MetaPack at a time when the company has been growing its workforce 50% each year on average for the past three years. Growth is coming particularly from the e-commerce sector. Minns said: “MetaPack has a very ‘current’ value proposition, the board-level interest expressed by the major UK retailers in January has been very positive.”

Bell and Howell appoints Bill Kral to lead national sales

Mail equipment manufacturer Bell and Howell has boosted its sales team with the appointment of Bill Kral as vice president of national sales.

Kral previously led Bell and Howell’s national accounts group, and most recently led the company’s strategic business development. A graduate of Miami University, he also holds an MBA from the University of Chicago. The appointment came as Mark Kilgore was appointed as senior vice president for sales operations at the company.

Les Stern, the Bell and Howell CEO, said the appointments were part of the company’s focus to align itself more closely to customer needs. “We will continue to fine tune our organisation to allow us to efficiently and effectively meet that goal,” he said.

LKE hires Marten Büttner as head of Global Mail division

International transport equipment supplier LKE has hired Marten Büttner as the new head of its Global Mail division, effective from the beginning of February 2011.

The German company said Büttner, 48, had more than 20 years of experience in the global postal industry, starting out his career with the consulting company Arthur D. Little before rising to become director for the Travel & Transportation department, bringing the business of Deutsche Post and other well-known industry players to the consultancy. For the last two years, Büttner was leading a company-wide transformation program for the postal services in Malaysia as an interim manager.

“We are very pleased to have found such an internationally experienced postal expert,” said Daniel Möhrke, managing director of LKE Group. “We will now be able to intensify business in our Global Mail division and to have even more of an international focus – thanks to his support.”