Independent UK parcel carrier Yodel has announced the appointment of Neil Ashworth as its chief commercial officer, with immediate effect. 

Ashworth has been CEO of CollectPlus, a role which he will retain alongside his new position, since 2013. He became an executive board member of Yodel in January this year, following the change of CollectPlus’ status from joint venture to wholly owned subsidiary of the carrier. 

In his new role as chief commercial officer, Ashworth will oversee Yodel’s sales, client and commercial development teams, including insight, innovation and customer service. 

Ashworth joined CollectPlus, the UK’s largest independent store based delivery and returns service, as CEO in 2013, following a long career in retail. Since joining CollectPlus, Ashworth has presided over a 204% uplift in parcel volumes, 129% increase in clients and over 28% growth in network locations to over 6,500 stores across the UK. 

His previous roles include six years at Tesco, where he was instrumental in designing and launching Tesco Direct and he has also held senior positions at Woolworths and Hallmark. Ashworth was recently honoured with the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Sir Robert Lawrence Award, a lifetime achievement accolade that celebrates pioneering and innovative contribution to digital retailing. 

Commenting on his new role, Neil Ashworth, CCO of Yodel and CEO of CollectPlus, said: “I am proud to extend my role within the Yodel family, at this exciting point in its transformation, and I look forward to the challenge that the CCO role presents.”

Mike Cooper, CEO at Yodel, said: “Neil brings a wealth of experience in retail and logistics which will be invaluable to the future growth of Yodel. He has a strong understanding of our business, having led CollectPlus for four years and served as an executive member of our own board since January, and we are pleased to announce his newly expanded position here at Yodel.”