The week that was: 28 May 2010

New chief at Royal Mail, Yodel is born, and more support for Japanese reform… The news pages at Post&Parcel have gone into overdrive this week, so there’s no better time to enjoy our weekly news round-up. Enjoy!

Canada Post’s Moya Greene will become the first women to run Royal Mail after her appointment as chief executive. She will also become the first non-British leader of the organisation. Greene has been CEO and president at the North American operator since 2005, and said: “I am honoured to be joining such a great company and to be working with its customers and its people at such a momentous time in its history.” She will take up the post from the middle of July. Chairman Donald Brydon said: “I am delighted that Moya is joining Royal Mail. She will bring energy, clear thinking and a proven leadership track record – as well as hugely relevant experience – to the business at an important moment in its evolution. I look forward to working closely with Moya as we tackle the challenges ahead and continue to focus on satisfying our customers and maintaining the six-days-a-week Universal Service.” Greene has a solid reputation throughout the postal sector, after trebling Canada Post’s net profit over the past five years. In April, the Corporation recorded consolidated net income of C$281m on revenue of C$7.3bn, and reported an operating margin of 4.9%. Last week, the new coalition government said it will pursue a part-privatisation of Royal Mail.

A new name is set to come to the forefront of the UK express industry after Home Delivery Network (HDNL) and its combined businesses rebranded as Yodel. “The new brand aims to challenge the delivery market with an absolute focus on the customer,” the company said. The rebranding forms a part of a company transformation, which included the acquisition of DHL’s domestic parcel business in the UK, completed earlier this year. Jonathan Smith, Yodel CEO, said: “We are delighted to be unveiling this new brand, which represents our ambitions to be a truly customer focused business offering a full suite of services that others in the market cannot match. The combined business is already growing faster than the market and we are excited about our future potential.”

In Asia, Japanese news wire Kyodo said that the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) kingpin Ichiro Ozawa has endorsed a bill to scale back the planned privatisation of state-owned Japan Post Holdings Co. The move increases the likelihood the legislation will pass through the Diet in the current session, it said. “I take this opportunity to promise to have the bill enacted during this Diet session” in cooperation with the ruling coalition, the DPJ secretary general told national post office chiefs. “Deliberations on the bill started last Tuesday, and a tug-of-war between the ruling coalition and opposition parties is expected in the run-up to the 16 June close of this session and this summer’s House of Councilors election. Under the bill, the cap on savings accounts at the postal group’s banking unit will be doubled to 20m yen, while the group will be obliged to offer “universal” banking and insurance services throughout the country in addition to mail services,” Kyodo reported.

In France, the workers of La Poste took part in a national strike on Thursday, as a part of a widespread public sector movement. The industrial action was in response to the government’s handling of national debt. Also, in a separate issue, La Poste revealed that it will increase postage rates by an average of 1.6% this summer. After 16 months without a price rise, the new structure will take effect on 1 July. The price of a letter less than 20 grams in weight will increase to 58 cents, up 2 cents. La Poste said that the “postage rate remains among the most competitive and Europe and will enable the Post Office to provide funding for the Universal Postal Service”. The rising price of stamps will have “little impact” on households, the operator said.

And finally…

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