The Royal Mail has endorsed former Ocado and WM Morrison executive Simon Thompson as its head of UK business, roping in a retail industry veteran to guide the postal service amid a surge in online parcel deliveries. Interim CEO Stuart Simpson will leave Royal Mail by the end of January. He had filled in for Rico Back who had stepped down last May after two years during which the company faced issues with unions over a proposed 1.8 billion pound restructuring plan.
As per Simon Thompson's LinkedIn bio, he served as online grocer Ocado's chief product officer until mid-2020. He has headed digital commerce at HSBC, was in charge of Apple's online stores in EMEA and held senior executive positions at WM Morrison Supermarkets, Motorola, and Honda Europe. The formal appointments come just three weeks after Royal Mail reached a crucial deal with its largest union over pay and operational change.
