News

Deutsche Post, the parent company of DHL Exel, has been rocked this week by the resignation of its chief executive officer Klaus Zumwinkel after the German authorities began investigating him over alleged tax evasion. Tax Investigators raided Deutsche Post's Bonn headquarters and Zumwinkel's villa in Cologne-Mariernburg on 14 February he was later grilled by officers at the district attorney's office in Dortmund. He is accused of avoiding some E1m in taxes by allegedly diverting money to  Liechtenstein.

He has been replaced at the helm of Deutsche Post by Frank Appel, the current head of DHL Logistics, who has been given the job until the end of 2012. Appel was handed the logistics role in 2003 and has overseen a period of extended growth for the division which included the acquisition of Exel. He has also been overseeing the firm's global mail business since October last year. Deutsche Post's supervisory board has also extended the contract of chief financial officer and former Exel chief John Allan for another two years until 2010.