Rico Back

Former CEO of Royal Mail & Co-Founder of GLS

London, UK

Makram Azar

Full Circle Capital

Charlie Bain

Digitalis

Rico’s Biography

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Businessman and entrepreneur Rico Back has been a leading figure in the global parcel industry for over three decades. He is the former CEO of Royal Mail Group and Co-Founder and former CEO of GLS.

During Rico’s tenure as CEO of Royal Mail, he led the creation of a five-year plan, “Journey 2024”. His strategy envisaged a transformation from a business predominantly focused on UK letters to an international parcel company with a letters operation in the UK. The plan’s core ‘turnaround and grow’ initiative included a renewed focus on productivity, operational excellence, and increased automation in the UK. It also aimed to expand GLS organically and through acquisitions across Europe and North America.

Prior to becoming CEO of Royal Mail, Rico was CEO of Royal Mail Parcels, responsible for the group’s international activities, including letters, as well as the UK parcel business. In this role, Rico laid the foundations for the broader Royal Mail group to become parcel-centric by focusing on technology, including modernising IT systems, increased barcoding and introducing handheld... Businessman and entrepreneur Rico Back has been a leading figure in the global parcel industry for over three decades. He is the former CEO of Royal Mail Group and Co-Founder and former CEO of GLS.

During Rico’s tenure as CEO of Royal Mail, he led the creation of a five-year plan, “Journey 2024”. His strategy envisaged a transformation from a business predominantly focused on UK letters to an international parcel company with a letters operation in the UK. The plan’s core ‘turnaround and grow’ initiative included a renewed focus on productivity, operational excellence, and increased automation in the UK. It also aimed to expand GLS organically and through acquisitions across Europe and North America.

Prior to becoming CEO of Royal Mail, Rico was CEO of Royal Mail Parcels, responsible for the group’s international activities, including letters, as well as the UK parcel business. In this role, Rico laid the foundations for the broader Royal Mail group to become parcel-centric by focusing on technology, including modernising IT systems, increased barcoding and introducing handheld scanners. Rico attended Royal Mail’s main board from 2002.

Previously, Rico served as CEO of GLS for 18 years. In 1989, he had co-founded German Parcel, a parcel service provider in Germany, later rebranded as GLS. In 1999, Rico led its sale to Royal Mail and continued to expand its network to build a pan-European parcel service. Under his leadership, GLS became the leading ground-based deferred parcel company in continental Europe with a turnover of over €4bn. From 2018 to 2020, Rico served as Chairman of GLS.

In addition to his extensive operational experience in the global parcel industry, Rico has led the successful acquisition and integration of over 80 businesses during his career. Complementing his corporate advisory work with a network of senior executives in Europe, North America and Asia, Rico is also Chairman of Swiss-based Tiger Asset Management AG. moreless

Rico’s Background

Former CEO of Royal Mail & Co-Founder of GLS

London, UK

Rico Back is a businessman and entrepreneur who has been an influential figure in the international parcel industry for more than three decades.

Tiger Asset Management AG

Chairman

2021 - Present

Pfäffikon, CH

Located in Switzerland, Tiger Asset Management AG is an independent investment advisory firm. The company specialises in a fundamental European absolute return strategy with an investment focus on listed equities, predominantly in the DACH region.

Royal Mail

CEO and Board Member

Jun 2018 - May 2020

London, UK

Royal Mail is a postal service in the UK that was founded in 1516. Royal Mail was a public service until its privatisation in 2015. It now trades as a public limited company.

Royal Mail

CEO of Royal Mail Group Parcels

2016 - 2018

London, UK

Rico Back was responsible for all international activities, including letters, as well as the national parcel business.

GLS

CEO of GLS

1999 - 2018

Amsterdam, NL

Rico Back co-founded German Parcel (later rebranded as GLS) in 1989. In 1999, he led the sale of German Parcel to Royal Mail.

German Parcel

Founding Member & Managing Director

1989 - 1999

Neuenstein, DE

Unilever Group / Langnese

Head of Distribution Centre

1986 - 1989

Cologne, DE

Langnese is a German frozen desserts brand of British-Dutch multinational consumer goods company Unilever.

Unilever Group / Langnese

Branch Manager in Bremerhaven, Lubeck and Kiel

1982 - 1986

Kiel, DE

Unilever Group / Langnese

Management Assistant

1980 - 1982

Hamburg, DE

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Rico’s Gallery

Rico Back in conversation with Royal Mail employees.

Rico Back in front of a GLS van, Switzerland.

Rico Back with employees of Royal Mail, Switzerland.

Previous Board Positions

GLS

Chairman of GLS (and of various GLS companies)

2018 - 2020

Amsterdam, NL

The Raben Group

Member of the Supervisory Board

2012 - 2015

Oss, NL

Raben Group has been offering comprehensive logistics services for 85 years and has a presence in 12 European countries.

Media

Welt

Zur Person: Rico Back

Sep 2019

Berlin, DE

Welt, a German publication, describes Rico Back’s professional career in the international parcel industry.

Royal Mail TV

Interviewee

May 2019

London, UK

Royal Mail TV interviews Rico Back about Journey 2024. Rico Back explains the plan to redesign Royal Mail to be efficient, customer-focused, stronger in parcels, while maintaining the company’s core competence in letters and remaining part of the fabric of the UK and local society.

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Rico’s Education

Wirtschaftsakademie Schleswig-Holstein

MBA