Royal Mail Restructures Marketing

Royal Mail has announced new structures for its marketing and sales departments as part of a wider restructuring to simplify structures, reduce costs and bring together a new strong single commercial team. The business units of Media Markets and Business and Consumer Markets and Service Delivery will cease, replaced from 31 March by a new integrated Royal Mail business for the UK, headed by Managing Director Jerry Cope. The company has already announced Paul Rich as Deputy Managing Director and Marketing Director. Mark Thomson becomes Director for Sales and Customer Services. The new marketing structure will continue to have dedicated teams for key markets, such as advertising mail, express services and consumer. Sales and Customer Services will similarly include teams for different customer business areas, such as publishing, utilities and retail. ‘As part of one business covering Royal Mail’s UK market, the changed structure will increase effectiveness and help us to focus on the most important business areas at a crucial time for Royal Mail,’ said Paul Rich. Head of Marketing Services in the new structure is Paul Troy who will lead Royal Mail’s brand marketing. Other key appointments reporting to Paul Rich are David Walker as Head of Advertising with a remit for direct mail marketing and Ross Drake as Head of Goods Distribution and Express covering marketing of services such as Special Delivery. Alison White has been appointed as Head of Personal Communication, Richard Roche as Head of Business Development, Lorna Clarkson as Head of Commercial and Specification and Dick Stead as Head of Financial Transactions. There will be some 300 jobs in the new Royal Mail marketing structure and around 100 running sales and customer services. This is a reduction of around 100 jobs across the two functions. The company is aiming to handle all job reductions through redeployment or voluntary means. Paul Rich said: ‘The new structures are all about becoming more focused, building our brand and keeping to clear priorities. Our marketing effort remains very focussed on business results, giving customers the right choices and levels of service as competition intensifies.