Tag: Royal Mail

Helen Weir, Group Finance Director of Lloyds TSB, is to be appointed a non-executive member of Royal Mail’s board, it was announced today. The move was warmly welcomed by Royal Mail’s Chairman, Allan Leighton, who said: “I am delighted Helen is joining us. Her breadth of senior financial and operational experience will strengthen Royal Mail’s board and be an asset to the company as it tackles the challenges of competing in a market opening to full competition on January 1.”

Royal Mail’s hopes of persuading ministers to back its plans for employee share ownership will suffer a setback next week when a committee of MPs declares it is unconvinced by the scheme. The Commons trade and industry committee, which publishes on Tuesday the findings of a long inquiry into postal market liberalisation, is expected to be dismissive of the chairman Allan Leighton’s proposal. The state-owned postal operator, which faces full market liberalisation from January 1, wants to offer employees tradeable shares in the business, but has encountered fierce opposition to the plan from trade unionists and Labour MPs.

Royal Mail today announced the appointment of Stephen Agar, currently the Group’s Regulatory Affairs Director, as Director of its Wholesale arm, which deals with letters which are collected and sorted by Royal Mail’s competitors before being handed to Royal Mail for final mile delivery. Mr Agar will report to Ian Griffiths, the Managing Director of Royal Mail Letters, who joins the company early in 2006.