Deutsche Post today announced a new head of mail in Germany, paved the way for Frank Appel tosucceed Klaus Zumwinkel and renewed its appeal for harmonised EU postal liberalisation.
The German postal and logistics group said that Jürgen Gerdes would take over the German mailbusiness from Hans-Dieter Petram on the latter’s retirement on June 30, 2007. Petram has been onthe Deutsche Post board since 1990 and managed the successful transformation of the mail businessduring the 1990s, as well as its international expansion in recent years.
Gerdes (42), currently head of the Mail Germany divisional board, will assume responsibilityfor the mail and parcel business in Germany on July 1, 2007. “Gerdes will focus solely on thechallenges of Deutsche Post’s home market, concentrating in particular on liberalization of themail market and the increasing substitution of letters with electronic communications,” DeutschePost said in a statement. Gerdes had all of the qualifications needed to energetically andinnovatively develop the German mail business during times of major challenges, said chairman KlausZumwinkel.
In a significant move, Frank Appel, board member for Global Business Services with extensivecross-departmental functions, will also assume responsibilities for the areas of MAIL Internationaland MAIL value-added services. In addition, he will oversee the regulation management departmentthat was previously part of the chairman’s responsibilities.
German media quickly interpreted this widening of responsibilities into the mail andpolitical lobbying fields as signalling that the 45-year-old is now favourite to be the successorto chairman Klaus Zumwinkel whose contract is due to expire in December 2008.
Meanwhile, Zumwinkel told today’s annual shareholder meeting that the German mail business iswell prepared to face intensified competition in its home market which is due for fullliberalisation on January 1, 2008. Deutsche Post would focus on quality, expand its services andstep up customer communication in the coming months, he said. Not only would Deutsche Post maintainits six days a week postal delivery but was also considering Sunday deliveries for selectedcustomers, he stated.
In addition, Zumwinkel renewed his calls for harmonised postal liberalisation in the EU andfair competitive conditions. Deutsche Post also reiterated its financial targets for 2007.
