From 30th December 2016, DPDgroup, the parcel delivery network of GeoPost, took full control of wnDirect. DPDgroup has been a shareholder in wnDirect for a number of years and has worked in partnership with wnDirect’s owner and founder, Stuart Hill.
wnDirect has increased revenues by close on a multiple of 4 in the last 5 years and with an impressive +60 per cent increase year on year in volumes in 2016. The company also works with DPDgroup businesses in Europe, and provides the network solution to power the export product ‘DPD Direct’. Alongside this, piloted by the Global Solutions team in the corporate HQ in Paris, DPDgroup has been working to secure new major partnerships across the world and has created several new eCommerce services which have led to a dramatic increase in B2C volumes coming in to Europe, especially from the USA and from China. Revenues have increased by a multiple of 4 in the last 2 years alone.
It’s against this backdrop of international growth that the Group decided to bring these activities closer together to further support the international expansion plans of their retailer partners and customers around the world. The consolidated group will have the scale and infrastructure to be able to expedite its development plans focusing on areas which have been highlighted as important by customers.
As from 1st January 2017, the two teams of wnDirect and DPDgroup Global Solutions in Paris are now led by Simon Batt, who has CEO of wnDirect in addition to continuing to lead the Global Solutions team of DPDgroup in Paris.
Simon, having worked in international parcels for many years both in DPDgroup and previously in Royal Mail Group, said “I’m very excited to have this opportunity to pull together two great teams and to continue to develop market leading solutions to enable our customers’ international cross border strategies. To be able to harness the innovation, technology and spirit of wnDirect at the same time as leveraging the DPD Group networks, partnerships and infrastructures will enable us to provide unrivalled solutions to our customers and partners. It’s a privilege to have the chance to lead this venture.”
wnDirect founder Stuart Hill, who comes from the retail sector having held senior roles in some of the UK’s prestige eCommerce brands like ASOS and John Lewis, will continue to play a role in the business, leading the focus on strategy, innovation and key account partnerships. Stuart added “What has been achieved by the team so far is quite astounding when you consider wnDirect is still a relatively young business. It is a testament to everyone that we have grown so significantly whilst retaining the DNA and ethos which made it exciting in the first place. I am thrilled to be part of the team for the future”.
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