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The chief executive of Royal Mail is stepping down after only two years in the wake of an acrimonious tussle with unions.
Simon Thompson, who took the top job in early 2021, will stay on until the end of October as the postal company seeks for its fourth boss in four years.
Royal Mail’s parent company, International Distributions Services, said it was in “advanced stages” of appointing a new chief executive.
Royal Mail agreed a deal over pay and working patterns last month after a year-long industrial dispute with the Communication Workers Union during which Thompson was accused of inflaming the bitter industrial dispute.
Thompson said in a statement on Friday: “I have been incredibly proud to lead Royal Mail during this crucial period in its 507 year history. The changes we have made, the infrastructure we have put in place, and the agreements negotiated with our trade unions mean that Royal Mail now has a chance to compete and grow.
“That is what I have always wanted, and it is now the right time to hand over to a new CEO to deliver the next stage of the company’s reinvention. I would like to thank my team for their support during a difficult and important time of change.”
The former Ocado and Apple executive, who ran the much-maligned £37bn Covid NHS test and trace scheme, faced a bruising attack on his reputation this year.
First, the former Royal Mail boss Rico Back questioned his experience and handling of the dispute with unions, which led to strike action.
He was later accused of “incompetence or cluelessness” by MPs on the business committee after appearing before them in January and being recalled over questions about his evidence.
Earlier this month, Sky News reported that Thompson was poised to resign, citing sources who claimed he had become disillusioned with the job in recent weeks.
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The company was also thrown into crisis earlier this year when a ransomware attack linked to Russian hackers stopped international mail deliveries from the UK to other countries.
Thompson was on the board of Royal Mail as a non-executive before he was appointed by IDS chair, Keith Williams.
Williams said: “On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Simon for his significant contribution over more than five years at Royal Mail, both as CEO and previously as a non-executive director of the board.
“As CEO, his leadership, resilience and unwavering drive to ensure that Royal Mail transforms for the benefit of our customers means we have set a clear path to turn the business around. We are grateful for his dedication and what he has achieved at the company, and wish him well for the future.”
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