TNT Express combines U.S., Canada units
TNT Express announced Thursday that it has combined its U.S. and Canadian operations.
“This new organization capitalizes on our collective strength and expertise within Canada and the USA,” said Curtis Watson, president of TNT North America.
Watson, a native of Canada who has run TNT’s U.S. operation since January 2001, said the merger will have no adverse impact on sales and operations in Canada. “This will be completely transparent to our customers,” he said.
Customer service functions that had been handled in Canada will be transferred to Houston, where the express operator runs a customer service center 24 hours a day, seven days a week. TNT said it is hiring French-speaking representatives in Houston to handle inquiries from Canada.
The merger of sales and operations has already been completed, while the combination of other functions such as finance and administration will be completed by the end of the year, said Watson, who spent eight years with TNT in Toronto before moving to the U.S. in 1995.
TNT North America will be headquartered in Melville, N.Y., where the company’s U.S. operation has been based.
TNT Express is an arm of TNT Post Group, the $13 billion Netherlands-based express, logistics and mail group.
Watson said the reorganization should have limited impact on TPG’s overall staffing in Canada. TPG’s Spring Division, a joint venture with Singapore Post and Royal Mail, wants to open its own operation in Canada, and should be able to accommodate some of the people who have worked for TNT Express.
TNT also announced the appointment of six regional vice presidents. They are Mary LaPonte, who will be in charge of general services and compliance; Matt McDonough, operations; Shawn McMahon, finance & administration; Mark O’Dell, information technology and communications; Peter Reed, sales and marketing, and Joe Schaffer, human resources.
