Swann is Royal Mail favourite:New CEO?

[POSTMAN]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/articl ... urite.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Kate Swann, chief executive of WHSmith, has emerged as favourite to succeed departing Royal Mail boss Adam Crozier, who is taking over as ITV chief executive.

She is understood to be the preferred candidate on a shortlist of three put forward by headhunting firm Egon Zehnder.

Swann has been linked to several chief executive jobs, including as a replacement for Sir Stuart Rose at Marks & Spencer.

Any pay award offered to Swann is likely to reflect her current earnings, which last year topped £1.4million, including bonuses of £896,000.

She is credited with turning round WHSmith, which was failing when she arrived in 2003

Her appointment may be controversial if the Government is forced to pay her a 'golden hello' to cover part of her long-term incentive bonuses of about £9million.

Swann has clashed with postal unions - in 2007 they threatened to boycott the chain after it was announced that 70 Crown post office sites would be closed and transferred to WHSmith stores.

WHSmith and Royal Mail refused to comment.

[Stormproof]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Swann" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://investing.businessweek.com/resea ... r=WHTPF:US" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Kate E. Swann, FCA, has been Group Chief Executive and Executive Director of WH Smith PLC since November 1, 2003.
Ms. Swann served as Managing Director of Argos Ltd., a part of GUS Plc since 2000.
She started her career at Tesco Plc as a Marketing Executive.
She spent four years working for Homepride Foods as a Brand Manager since 1988, before joining Coca Cola Schweppes Beverages in 1992.
At Coca Cola Schweppes, Ms. Swann served as General Marketing Manager.
In 1993, Ms. Swann joined Dixons Stores Group, initially as the Group Marketing Controller, and then served as the Marketing Director of Currys.
After four years at Dixons Stores Group, she served as the Marketing Director of Homebase and within 18 months served as its Managing Director since December 2000.
Ms. Kate has a wide range of marketing and retail experience. She has held a number of senior marketing roles with major high street companies.
Ms. Swann has been an Non Executive Independent Director of British Land Co. Plc since April 1, 2006.
Ms. Swann served as an Independent Non-Executive Director of Lambert Howarth Group PLC, from August 2000 to June 2006 and served as a Director of Smith News PLC from June 26, 2006 to August 31, 2006.

[fishtank]

Staff revolt at WH Smith
Teena Lyons, Mail on Sunday
3 October 2004, 12:00am
WH Smith shopworkers have inundated chief executive Kate Swann with complaints about her decision to slash staff discounts.
According to insiders, Swann's move to halve the discounts from 25% to 12.5% to reduce costs has sparked an unprecedented backlash in the company.
'Morale was pretty bad to start with,' said one insider. 'Now it has hit rock bottom. Everyone has been writing furious letters, but we are being ignored.'

It also coincided with the announcement of a lucrative incentive scheme for the company's top managers.
It could bring Swann a gain of almost £4m if the retailer does well.
The scheme, which will also earn 40 top managers a slice of about £20m in shares in three years' time, was approved by shareholders at the end of last month.

Friday 1 February 2008
Shareholders in WH Smith gave the go-ahead yesterday for a new multimillion-pound pay deal for the chief executive, Kate Swann, as the news and books chain unveiled lacklustre Christmas sales and a £90m return of cash to shareholders.
Shareholders approved a new pay plan for Swann and her senior team. She has just collected a £4m payout as part of a three-year incentive plan, which paid a total of £20m to 30 senior managers. The new three-year scheme could generate another £4m, on top of Swann's £500,000-a-year salary and annual bonus.

All aboard the Royal Mail gravy train,with a background like that she could drive the feckin thing.

[sevenandseven]

It doesn't say much for the mail industry management if their best choice is an outsider with experience of running a shop chain. Where are all these brilliant innovators we constantly hear of that are running the competitors TNT, UK Mail and the rest? Why are they not head hunted if they are that good? Leighton from Asda. Ms Swann from WH Smith. I hear the bloke running our local newsagent is looking for a new business opportunity and he won't cost a multi-million fee.

[MinisterofCucumber]

Swann has a marketing background and her speciality is coming up with new product ideas. She introduced screw top bottles for Coca Cola:

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/b ... 594430.ece" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I would imagine that she would want the freedom to develop new products and I can't see how she would get this sort of freedom if she is tied down to the 3 year plan that '2010 and Beyond f***ing Belief' would bring in. Hopefully, she can come up with something better than pissing off the public by pouring junk mail through their letterboxes.

[pickaname]

http://investing.businessweek.com/resea ... r=WHTPF:US" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Kate E. Swann, FCA, has been Group Chief Executive and Executive Director of WH Smith PLC since November 1, 2003.
Ms. Swann served as Managing Director of Argos Ltd., a part of GUS Plc since 2000.
She started her career at Tesco Plc as a Marketing Executive.
She spent four years working for Homepride Foods as a Brand Manager since 1988, before joining Coca Cola Schweppes Beverages in 1992.
At Coca Cola Schweppes, Ms. Swann served as General Marketing Manager.
In 1993, Ms. Swann joined Dixons Stores Group, initially as the Group Marketing Controller, and then served as the Marketing Director of Currys.
After four years at Dixons Stores Group, she served as the Marketing Director of Homebase and within 18 months served as its Managing Director since December 2000.
Ms. Kate has a wide range of marketing and retail experience. She has held a number of senior marketing roles with major high street companies.
Ms. Swann has been an Non Executive Independent Director of British Land Co. Plc since April 1, 2006.
Ms. Swann served as an Independent Non-Executive Director of Lambert Howarth Group PLC, from August 2000 to June 2006 and served as a Director of Smith News PLC from June 26, 2006 to August 31, 2006.

Makes you want to give her a little push dunnit?

I'd shag her though...

[DirtyHarry]

It doesn't say much for the mail industry management if their best choice is an outsider with experience of running a shop chain. Where are all these brilliant innovators we constantly hear of that are running the competitors TNT, UK Mail and the rest? Why are they not head hunted if they are that good? Leighton from Asda. Ms Swann from WH Smith. I hear the bloke running our local newsagent is looking for a new business opportunity and he won't cost a multi-million fee.

From what I can gather, Swann didn't run WH Smith, she milked it once she had turned it into a cash cow for her and her fat jowled chums in the boardroom.
Great, just what the nation's postal service needs, another carpet bagger.

[k979aaa]

So we are all up the Swanee then!. Sounds about right.

[DirtyHarry]

So we are all up the Swanee then!. Sounds about right.

Good one.

[steven100]

Shop chain, think Asda, think :lfo .

Disaster

[fishtank]

Ms. Swann has been an Non Executive Independent Director of British Land Co. Plc since April 1, 2006.

British Land Co. Plc
What we do We are one of the UK’s largest Real Estate Investment Trust with total assets, owned or under management, valued at £12.7 billion, (British Land share £7.9 billion). The hallmark of the business is a focus on customers, based on a portfolio in prime locations in the UK and more recently in Western Europe. Active management of these assets, purchases and sales and new development activity, tailor the property holdings to meet the needs of occupiers.


Now......What do we have lots of ?

[westlondonpostie]

http://investing.businessweek.com/resea ... r=WHTPF:US" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Kate E. Swann, FCA, has been Group Chief Executive and Executive Director of WH Smith PLC since November 1, 2003.
Ms. Swann served as Managing Director of Argos Ltd., a part of GUS Plc since 2000.
She started her career at Tesco Plc as a Marketing Executive.
She spent four years working for Homepride Foods as a Brand Manager since 1988, before joining Coca Cola Schweppes Beverages in 1992.
At Coca Cola Schweppes, Ms. Swann served as General Marketing Manager.
In 1993, Ms. Swann joined Dixons Stores Group, initially as the Group Marketing Controller, and then served as the Marketing Director of Currys.
After four years at Dixons Stores Group, she served as the Marketing Director of Homebase and within 18 months served as its Managing Director since December 2000.
Ms. Kate has a wide range of marketing and retail experience. She has held a number of senior marketing roles with major high street companies.
Ms. Swann has been an Non Executive Independent Director of British Land Co. Plc since April 1, 2006.
Ms. Swann served as an Independent Non-Executive Director of Lambert Howarth Group PLC, from August 2000 to June 2006 and served as a Director of Smith News PLC from June 26, 2006 to August 31, 2006.

For f**k sake another one with no f***ing experience in the Postal sector and it seems she's just the same as Crozier always jumping before being pushed!

[Lounge Lizard]

Yes, we need someone with practical experience, someone like Alan Johnson, who just might be out of a job after the general election next month.

[Lounge Lizard]

Yes, we need someone with practical experience, someone like Alan Johnson, who just might be out of a job after the general election next month.

Many a true word spoke in jest.