UPS has named Mark Vale as president of UPS UK, Ireland and Nordics. Vale is responsible for all UPS operations in seven countries[1] and more than 11,000 employees.
“We are investing in our network in Europe, including the UK, Ireland and the Nordics,” said Lou Rivieccio, president, UPS Europe. “And this includes making sure that the network has the right leadership in the right place. Mark brings a global perspective having worked with some of the world’s fastest growing and most dynamic economies, and that will serve him well as companies in Britain extend their global businesses.”
Vale joined UPS in 1988 in the UK. He was most recently president of emerging markets, based at UPS global headquarters in Atlanta, and he brings many years of management, finance and strategy experience. Vale succeeds Luis Arriaga, who was made president, UPS Asia Pacific Transportation, based in Singapore.
“UPS has been investing in the UK and, thanks to the demand we continue to see for cross-border services, I’m keen to keep that momentum going in the wider territory,” said Vale. “Growing internationally is a great way for businesses of all sizes to get ahead. Small and medium sized enterprises can benefit from our network, plugging into a global supply chain and reaching their customers worldwide. As the way the UK trades changes, businesses in the region need a smart logistics network now more than ever to deliver on their growth strategies.”
The UK is a key market for UPS, seeing more than 15% growth in export volume in the first quarter of 2018. In 2015, UPS announced that it would invest £120 million in a new hub at DP World London Gateway in southeast England. The company also opened a new sorting facility in Jönköping, Sweden in 2016 and has improved shipping times for its most economical UPS Standard™ service between the UK, Ireland and the Nordic countries. These improvements were part of an enhancement to UPS’s European ground network, improving shipping speeds across 26 countries.
In addition to new facilities and service improvements, UPS is investing in making its operations more sustainable. In February 2018, the company announced a partnership in smart grid technology to support the growth of its electric delivery fleet in London. UPS is partnering with cities to help find solutions to their environmental and congestion challenges. UPS recently replaced a number of conventional diesel vehicles in Dublin with electrically assisted tricycles, which produce no emissions and reduce congestion.