CX Donal Curtin Formally Announces Decision Not To Renew Contract

26 January 2006

The Board of An Post was advised of Mr Curtin’s decision at its meeting today. The Board will now undertake a recruitment campaign to appoint a successor to Mr Curtin.

Mr Curtin said that when he took the job as Chief Executive in July 2003, he had made it clear that his commitment was confined to the fulfilment of his three year term of contract.

“My task as Chief Executive was to bring the company from crisis to stability. The implementation of the Recovery Strategy will be completed this summer and my job will have been done. My successor will have the opportunity to take the company forward,” he said.

The Chairperson of An Post, Ms Margaret Mc Ginley paid tribute to Mr Curtin.

“Donal Curtin took on a difficult task three years ago and his achievements in dramatically improving the company’s finances, reorganising the management structures and implementing radical change are enormous. The Board has accepted Donal’s decision to move on to other challenges and interests and wishes him every success in the future,” she said.

Mr Curtin took over as Chief Executive of An Post at a time when the company was heading towards a loss of €50 million for 2003. As a consequence of management actions, the 2003 loss was ultimately curtailed to €43 million and An Post recorded an operating profit of €1.7 million in 2004. The company expects to report a profitable performance in respect of 2005 also.

While difficult decisions had to be made, such as the closure of the loss-making SDS parcels division with the loss of 270 jobs, the company has also succeeded over the past 12 months in reaching agreement with all its unions on major change and productivity agreements. This includes the CWU whose members voted in favour a historic change programme in the Mails Collection and Delivery operation just before Christmas 2005.
 

 

Contact the Press Office for further information.