“Royal Mail in the UK is in a period of significant transition”
The Board of Royal Mail plc has announced three senior executive appointments.
Simon Thompson, Non-Executive Director of Royal Mail plc, becomes Chief Executive of the UK business with effect from today.
Martin Seidenberg, Chief Executive of GLS, will join the Royal Mail plc Board on 1 April 2021.
Mick Jeavons, interim Chief Financial Officer for the Group since May 2020, will continue in that position on a permanent basis and will join the Royal Mail plc Board as an Executive Director with immediate effect.
As a result of these changes Stuart Simpson, who has been acting as interim Chief Executive of the UK business since May 2020, will leave Royal Mail at the end of January following a short handover period.
Keith Williams, who has been acting as interim Executive Chair of the Group since May 2020, will revert back to being Non-Executive Chair from the same date.
Announcing these changes, Keith Williams said: “Royal Mail in the UK is in a period of significant transition and needs to move quickly, put the customer at the heart of everything we do, and adapt our business to better serve changing customer needs. Simon has been a Non-Executive Director of the Group since November 2017 and already has significant knowledge of the Group and its operations. He also has a wealth of experience both in digital transformation and customer experience and is ideally placed to lead the opportunity to grow and expand our UK parcels business and to meet our customers’ needs across both letters and parcels.”
“Martin has made an impressive start as CEO of GLS. Bringing him onto the Group Board allows us to benefit from his detailed knowledge of the parcels sector and reflects the contribution of GLS to the Group.”
“We have two excellent leaders in place for each of our businesses, focused on the opportunities which they each have to grow and succeed in the future.”
“Mick has been with the Group for 27 years and has served in a variety of senior positions, including as Deputy Group CFO and before that, as Chief of Staff to the Group CEO. His deep experience of the Group and its operations will be invaluable.”
“The Board would like to congratulate all three on their appointments and extend its thanks to Stuart for his significant contribution to Royal Mail over the last eleven years, in particular for acting as interim Chief Executive of the UK business over the last eight months. We all wish him well as he develops his career outside Royal Mail.”
Commenting on his appointment, Simon Thompson said, “Against the backdrop of a challenging year, our colleagues have once again demonstrated the invaluable service they provide for our communities up and down the country. Looking ahead, we need to build on the great trust we have on the doorstep. We need to develop a razor-sharp focus on the customer, making sure our services are delivering exactly what our customers need and want. And we need to explore new opportunities for growth. We now have a unique opportunity to grow our business, and I look forward to working with our colleagues and stakeholders to take this great company forward.”
Stuart Simpson said, “It has been my privilege to lead Royal Mail in the UK in the last eight months, particularly in such trying times. It is a tremendous company with fantastic people. I wish Simon and all my colleagues the very best success for the future.”
This announcement is made in accordance with Listing Rule 9.6.11R. There are no other details required to be disclosed pursuant to Listing Rule 9.6.13R.
In accordance with Section 430(2B) of the Companies Act 2006, the relevant disclosures will be made in the 2020/21 annual report.
