Emma Gilthorpe resigns as chief executive of Royal Mail
Emma Gilthorpe, who joined from Heathrow in May 2024, left the company on Thursday and will be replaced on an interim basis by the chief operating officer, Alistair Cochrane, with immediate effect, the Guardian has learned.
Daniel Křetínský completed a deal to buy International Distribution Services (IDS), the owner of the 509-year-old Royal Mail, in April.
A group of existing IDS non-executive directors, including the chair, Keith Williams, resigned earlier this month. However, the company had made no mention of Gilthorpe's future after the deal.
Gilthorpe had been the chief operating officer at Heathrow airport since 2020, and joined Royal Mail in a newly created role under Martin Seidenberg, who is chief executive of IDS. She had also held positions in the telecoms industry, with BT and Cable & Wireless.
Seidenberg said: 'Emma has worked tirelessly to drive forward Royal Mail's transformation, and I would like to extend my personal thanks to her for the significant contribution she has made to the company.'
Gilthorpe said: 'I will always be incredibly proud to have led Royal Mail … I look forward to seeing Royal Mail continue to transform in the years ahead, ensuring a stronger and more sustainable future for this great British company.'
Cochrane joined Royal Mail in 2023 from Whistl, where he was chief executive. He has also held senior roles at TNT Express and Parcelforce Worldwide.
Seidenberg added: 'Alistair Cochrane is an exceptional leader and brings significant experience to his new role from across the logistics industry, and from his time with us at both Royal Mail and Parcelforce.'
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Křetínský's EP Group clinched the IDS deal after long-running UK government efforts to assess the national security considerations of the deal.
The Conservative former trade policy minister Greg Hands was this month appointed as a strategic adviser to EP Group.
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