Frank Appel, head of DHL Logistics, is being tipped to succeed Deutsche Post World Net chiefexecutive and chairman Klaus Zumwinkel who resigned today over alleged tax evasion. But CFO John
Allan is also seen as a possible candidate for the top job.Zumwinkel offered his resignation this morning as a consequence of the investigation intoallegations that he avoided paying about EUR 1 million in taxes by transferring money to a fund inLiechtenstein. Police and tax officials yesterday raided his home and office at the DPWNheadquarters, and took him for questioning before releasing him on bail.
German chancellor Angela Merkel said the government had accepted his resignation which hadbeen “inevitable after what happened”. She criticised Zumwinkel for not having made any publicstatement about the allegations. Other leading politicians welcomed the resignation. The Germanstate remains the largest shareholder in Deutsche Post despite its privatisation.
The Deutsche Post supervisory board’s executive committee issued a statement saying thatZumwinkel had offered to resign at the next supervisory board meeting “in the interest of thecompany”. The board is reportedly due to meet on Monday to accept the resignation and to discuss asuccessor.
German media speculated that Frank Appel, who heads the logistics division, was the favouriteto succeed Zumwinkel in the post of chairman and CEO. Appel, 46, who joined DPWN in 2002, has beengroomed over the past few years to succeed his mentor and has gradually taken on moreresponsibilities on the DPWN board. Apart from logistics, he is also responsible for theinternational mail business, the First Choice quality programme, global customer solutions, andregulatory affairs. He had previously managed the Star cost-cutting programme and led theacquisition of Exel.
Some commentators, however, said CFO John Allan could be appointed as an interim candidate.Allan, the former head of Exel, ran DHL Logistics until taking over the CFO position last autumn.
