With the meteoric rise of e-commerce and digital platforms, StarTrack is thinking beyond the traditional logistics universe and exploring new ways to deliver an exceptional customer experience.
Prior to taking up his current role at Myer, earlier this year former Executive General Manager of Parcels and Express Services at Australia Post and CEO of StarTrack, Richard Umbers, spoke to The CEO Magazine about how the business has been shifting with consumer trends and the digital revolution.
The CEO Magazine: What led you to become CEO of StarTrack?
Richard: I was with Australia Post for four years and in that time I was responsible for, initially, digital services and then later running the Australia Post parcels network. The acquisition of the business StarTrack, which we were already a 50-per-cent owner of with Qantas, fell under the parcels portfolio as a parcels logistics business. Therefore, we were able to create a combined group made up of StarTrack itself and the traditional Australia Post parcels business. Of course, that business needed a leader and as the head of the existing parcels business I was the natural owner of that business.
Since that merger, how have operations transformed?
The original strategic logic for merging the two businesses was that they appeal to very different markets. Australia Post has been in the logistics business for more than 200 years and StarTrack for some 40 or so years, but they cater for very different markets. Australia Post’s key strength has been in delivering to peoples homes and therefore focused on the consumer market, whereas StarTrack is a very strong business brand and has been picking up from businesses and delivering to businesses for a very long period of time.