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Leadership of the Post Office after 1969

In 1969, the Post Office ceased to be a government department and attained corporation status. This change in status was accompanied by a change in the leadership structure and the positions of Postmaster General, Assistant Postmaster General and Director General to the Post Office were replaced by new positions. This page lists those appointed to the position of Chairman since 1969. In certain periods, Chief Executive Officers were also in post.

Chairmen 1969-1980

Name
Year Appointed
 Viscount Hall of Cynon Valley
 1969
 Mr A W C Ryland, CB (later Sir William Ryland, CB)
 1971
 Sir William Barlow
 1977
 Sir Henry Chilver
 1980


From 1969, when he was appointed as Deputy Chairman, until the end of his tenure as Chairman, Mr A W C Ryland (later Sir William Ryland) was also Chief Executive Officer.

Chairmen and Chief Executive Officers after 1980

In 1981, the process of creating two companies - Royal Mail (responsible for mail delivery and post offices) and British Telecommunications (responsible for telecommunications) - was complete. The Chairmen and Chief Executive Officers appointed to the Royal Mail Group were as follows:

Chairman Year Appointed
Mr R E Dearing CB (later Sir Ronald Dearing, CB)
1981
Sir Bryan Nicholson (also Chief Executive Officer)
1988
Michael Heron (later Sir Michael Heron)
1993
Dr Neville Bain
1998
Allan Leighton
2002

Chief Executive Officer
Year Appointed
Sir Bryan Nicholson (also Chairman)
1988
Bill Cockburn
1993
John Roberts, CBE
1995
Adam Crozier
2003