Christine Holgate has begun her tenure as Australia Post’s new CEO, giving hope to the printing and mailing industries that better times lay ahead, after her predecessor Ahmed Fahour made unfavourable decisions towards the print and mail sector.
During Fahour’s time the cost to mail at the monopoly rose dramatically, service levels were slashed, as the company focused on its parcels business.
Christine Holgate was CEO of vitamin supplement company Blackmores for the past nine years and is also director of AFL team, Collingwood Football Club.
[Related: AusPost CEO Fahour resigns]
Holgate says she feels privileged to be appointed as CEO of such an iconic Australian corporation and she looks forward to building on the achievements of her predecessors.
"Australia Post has proven itself to be one of the most resilient and successful postal businesses anywhere in the world. I feel fortunate to be joining at a time when we can really strengthen Post's leading position in the eCommerce market – both here, in Australia, and in Asia.
"I am a passionate advocate for Australian business seizing the opportunity that is on our doorstep in Asia and that creates opportunities for everyone – our workforce, our shareholder, the community, as well as businesses across Australia.
"I am really looking forward to joining the team. And I am especially looking forward to getting out and meeting the posties, the drivers, post office staff, licensees and other partners who deliver services in communities across Australia, every day.”
Holgate will be receiving a remuneration package of $1.37m at a fixed annual total with a chance to double that with incentives. This figure is significantly less than Fahour trousered, with his salary at $5.6m, its revelation that he as Australia’s highest paid civil servant by a country mile, earning ten times that of the prime minister and five times that of the head of US Post leading to a furore that saw him depart. Nonetheless Fahour received a final payout of a whopping $10.8m.
Fahour has moved onto his new position of executive chairman at Pro-Pac Packaging, his new salary package has not been disclosed.
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