Nigel Stapleton, the caretaker chairman of Cordiant Communications appointed by shareholders to preside over the agency group's dismemberment last year, formally assumed the role of chairman at UK mail regulator Postcom on Monday.
He succeeds Graham Corbett, who has helmed Postcom's seven-strong commission since the postal watchdog was formed by the Blair administration in 2000.
Stapleton will serve for an initial term of three years, combining his new role with chairing chilled foods producer Uniq and a non-executive directorship at the London Stock Exchange.
As a 'professional' company director, he will have at least one thing in common with his opposite number at the Royal Mail, Alan Leighton. Both men manage to combine a raft of part-time commercial directorships with the onerous duties of helming a state-owned agency.
Stapleton declared his brief to be "creating a truly competitive and innovative postal market in the UK, while maintaining the universal [nationwide at a single price] service".
He continued: "At the moment, there are barriers to entry that have enabled Royal Mail, despite its own acknowledged inefficiencies, to retain more than 99% of the letters market. I want to see Royal Mail succeed with its renewal plan and for those entry barriers to be removed."
Data sourced from: BrandRepublic (UK); additional content by WARC staff
