Brydon re-appointed as Royal Mail chairman for three years
The UK government has re-appointed Donald Brydon as chairman of the Royal Mail Group for a further three years. Brydon’s new term is effective from 26th March, and will see his salary unchanged at GBP 200,000, ministers said.
UK postal affairs minister Norman Lamb said today that Brydon had proved since his first appointment as Royal Mail chairman in March 2009 that he had the qualities needed to lead the Group through a “challenging period”.
Lamb said of Brydon: “I’m delighted to announce his re-appointment. His skills and experience will be needed as the company moves into the next phase of its development.”
Brydon is also currently chairman of global technology firm Smiths Group plc, but previously had a long career in the finance sector including 20 years at Barclays Group and 10 years at AXA Group.
A past chairman of the international charity EveryChild, he has also recently been chairman of the London Metal Exchange, Amersham plc, Taylor Nelson Sofres plc and a director of Allied Domecq plc and Scottish Power plc.
Commenting on his re-appointment, Brydon said his first three years had been “remarkable” with the restructuring of Royal Mail’s management, the passing of major postal reform legislation in Parliament and most recently the confirmation of legacy pension liabilities being transferred to the government.
The Royal Mail Chairman said going forward that modernisation efforts would continue “apace” at the Group and the regulatory framework was going through redefinition under regulator Ofcom.
But, he said a key challenge remained to secure the future of the “cherished one-price-goes-anywhere Universal Service to the UK’s 29 million addresses”.
“I am confident that under the leadership of the new management team Royal Mail will succeed,” said Brydon.
“Of course, much will still depend on the new regulatory framework for Royal Mail which Ofcom is expected to unveil shortly. Royal Mail very much needs to be allowed the freedom to compete fairly in a market open to full and growing competition, and where we can focus fully on customers and the market while being subject to competition law like any other company.”
