An Post has appointed Debbie Byrne as managing director of An Post Retail, one of the two new business divisions to come from the Irish postal service's recent split.
The new appointment follows the decision to split An Post into two business units, An Post Mails & Parcels (the delivery service) and An Post Retail (the post office and online service).
Byrne will report to An Post Group CEO, David McRedmond, and will be in charge of securing a successful future for the post office network by transforming the business and making it more relevant and useful to more customers, according to An Post.
She will carry the profit and loss (P&L) responsibilities by determining and leading initiatives to meet market challenges, transforming the operation into a more commercial, customer-focused business, it said.
Out-of-home e-commerce (the development of the traditional mails and parcels business in post offices), Government services, and financial services will form the key focuses of her new role in addition to the development of the Irish postal service’s strategic brand.
Previous Experience
Byrne previously worked for over 20 years at a range of top companies, such as Grand Metropolitan Europe, L’Oreal (UK & Ireland), Eircom and Life Style Sports in senior general management, marketing and strategic planning roles.
She’s a graduate of International Marketing & Languages at DCU, INSEAD’s General Management Programme and is a member of the UK Institute of Marketing.
“I am very pleased that we have been able to attract a candidate of Debbie Byrne’s calibre and experience to lead the new An Post Retail team,” said McRedmond. “The post office network is a vital public service in every community across the State. Debbie and the team will re-invigorate and re-imagine the network to ensure it is viable and relevant for the long-term.”
“Together with the recent appointment of Garrett Bridgeman to the role of Managing Director of An Post Mails & Parcels, I believe An Post now has secured excellent leadership for its two core businesses,” he added.
“I’m delighted to take up this new role in one of Ireland’s leading companies, with such a strong, iconic brand and an unrivalled retail network,” Byrne commented. “An Post is unique in its ability to provide innovative, real value and trusted services to communities and businesses all over Ireland.
"The retail environment is evolving rapidly and so too is consumer behaviour. We have a great opportunity to re-position An Post’s retail business by working with staff, postmasters and business partners to meet new competitive challenges and customer needs through new products, new office formats and retail models.”
© 2018 - Checkout Magazine by Kevin Duggan
