Royal Mail CEO Emma Gilthorpe quits after Czech billionaire's £3.6bn takeover.

Royal Mail CEO Emma Gilthorpe quits after a £3.6bn takeover by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky. She is replaced on an interim basis by Alistair Cochrane, the chief operating officer. The departure marks the latest leadership upheaval at Royal Mail, which has had five CEOs in six years. Kretinsky's takeover marks the first time the postal service has fallen into foreign ownership in its 500-year history.

Emma Gilthorpe, the chief executive of Royal Mail, has resigned after just over a year in the role, following a £3.6bn takeover by Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský. The move comes weeks after Křetínský's EP Group acquired International Distribution Services (IDS), the owner of Royal Mail [1].

Gilthorpe joined Royal Mail in May 2024 from Heathrow airport, where she served as the chief operating officer. She had previously held positions in the telecoms industry, including roles at BT and Cable & Wireless. Her resignation was announced on Thursday, and she will be replaced on an interim basis by Alistair Cochrane, the chief operating officer [1].

The takeover by Křetínský marks the first time the postal service has fallen into foreign ownership in its 500-year history. Cochrane, who joined Royal Mail in 2023 from the delivery company Whistl, has significant experience in the logistics industry, having held senior roles at TNT Express and Parcelforce Worldwide. He becomes Royal Mail’s fourth boss in three years [1].

The departure of Gilthorpe is the latest in a series of leadership changes at Royal Mail. Since its privatisation in 2013, the company has experienced a high turnover of executives. In 2023, Simon Thompson stepped down after only two years following an acrimonious tussle with unions [1].

The sale of Royal Mail to Křetínský was approved by the UK government after a long-running review of national security considerations. The Conservative former trade policy minister Greg Hands was recently appointed as a strategic adviser to EP Group [1].

The industry regulator, Ofcom, has been investigating Royal Mail's quality of service following complaints about delivery delays and higher stamp prices. In April, the price of a first-class stamp rose by 5p, or 3%, to £1.70, marking the sixth increase in little over three years [1].

References:
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jun/20/emma-gilthorpe-resigns-chief-executive-royal-mail