Posten Sverige announces new organization and corporate management

Posten Sverige’s corporate management team has been reduced from 18 to 6 members. In a move to streamline the organizational structure, business operations will be aligned into two divisions: Market, and Production and Logistics. Three incumbents will join the new, leaner management team. Bo Friberg will serve as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer; Ingemar Persson, executive vice president, will lead Human Resources; and Inger Holmström will be in charge of Corporate Communications.

Elisabeth Ström, whose previous positions include executive vice president of Kooperativa Förbundet and FöreningsSparbanken, has been named executive vice president and interim deputy chief executive officer in charge of the Market division.

Göran Sällqvist, who is currently serving as interim chief executive officer of Coop Sverige, has been named executive vice president in charge of the Production and Logistics division.

Acting in close concert with new President and CEO, Erik Olsson, Posten’s new management team will spearhead changes aimed at enhanced efficiency in the decision-making structure, and will pursue needs-driven improvements in customer-orientation.

“Charting a clearer commercial trajectory is a paramount concern. The challenge confronting me and all Posten employees is to restore confidence in our ability to combine our public service mandate with quality service, while at the same time moving the business into the black,” says Erik Olsson.

The Market division will be responsible for the product line, rate and channel strategies, as well as for sales and market communications. Posten’s infrastructure, in the form of letter mail and parcel terminals as well as the distribution operation, will be coordinated in the Production and Logistics division.

The new corporate management team’s first job will be to revise the vision, business idea, goals and strategies, as well as to develop a three-year action plan, which will be presented to the board of directors in fall 2003. Further, corporate management will shape the principles for the new organization, in addition to creating detailed proposals concerning the continued development and efforts of the new organization.

“Tomorrow’s Posten will not resemble yesterday’s. The steps we take in the coming years to meet new circumstances and demands may evoke mixed reactions. Our objective, nevertheless, is to be valued by a clear majority. I vow that Posten will become better at explaining why we are continually evolving. Our goal for the future is to create a Posten with a clearer stance, higher profitability and a finger firmly placed on the consumer pulse,” concludes Erik Olsson.