Royal Mail appoints BA veteran Keith Williams as chairman
Royal Mail said on Friday that it has appointed current deputy chairman and British Airways veteran Keith Williams as its new chairman with effect from 22 May.
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Williams, who succeeds Les Owen, worked at British Airways for 18 years, including five years as chief financial officer, three as chief executive and two as executive chairman.
Royal Mail said that during that time, he led the transformation of the company, building a leaner and more customer focused organisation with a sustainable future.
Williams will step down as a non-executive director and chair of the Audit Committee at insurer Aviva following the conclusion of the company's AGM on 23 May.
Owen said: "As we previously communicated, my tenure as chairman was planned to be for a limited period only. I am delighted with the announcement that Keith will succeed me in May. Over the next two months, we will work closely together to ensure that our management team are fully supported as they address the challenges we face in the UK letters and parcels business. Keith is well known to our management, provides continuity, and has in his time on the board developed a deep understanding of our business and its priorities.
"We are planning to further strengthen the board in the coming months through the appointment of a number of additional non-executive directors."
At 0910 GMT, the shares were down 1.2% to 246.10p.