President’s message
It is a great privilege to serve as President and CEO of Canada Post. As Chief Commercial Officer for the last two and a half years, I have been able to meet with many customers and employees. What I have learned confirms my views as someone who has lived in major urban centres and smaller, rural communities across the country – Canada Post is a positive force in all communities, backed by impressive people committed to providing great service.
A year of challenges and progress
Before looking to the future, it’s important to acknowledge that 2018 was a challenging year. Our financial results were disappointing and this report provides important context to those results. For several crucial weeks during the holiday shopping season, labour uncertainty and disruptions meant our customers could not count on us. This had a huge impact on our customers, our employees and the Canadians we serve. We are committed to earning back the trust we lost.
In 2018, we also took some important steps forward for the organization. An arbitration process agreed to in 2016 between Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) concluded with a ruling which provided significant wage and benefit increases for Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers to achieve pay equity. We also brought a much sharper focus to the safety of our employees and made real progress – but at the same time, we know there is more we need to do.
Confidence in our future
The challenges we face as a postal system are not unique to Canada. Mail volumes are declining around the globe while competition continues to increase from traditional and emerging delivery operators. Our future success, however, will depend on our uniquely Canadian attributes.
We are an enabler and innovator in Canada’s e-commerce space and will continue to play that critical role. We became the No. 1 parcel company in Canada by serving this country like no one else. We have every intention of remaining the market leader by helping Canadian businesses succeed, while providing more exciting and convenient delivery options for Canadians.
Our trusted workforce will continue to set us apart from other delivery companies. Our employees serve as Canada Post’s ambassadors in neighbourhoods and post offices across the country every day. Their commitment is to their customers, and we need to ensure we support them by working collaboratively with unions and address any issues.
The commitment to customer service runs deep within our entire organization. It is part of our DNA and has helped the postal system to remain resilient in the face of significant challenges throughout our history. We got to where we are by evolving and growing with the country we proudly serve.
Our ability to adapt and evolve to meet the changing needs of the Canadians we serve will determine our future success. With a corporate-wide focus on serving our customers, backed by a trusted and dedicated workforce and an unrivalled presence in every community across the country, I believe we can secure a strong and vibrant future for the Corporation.
In closing, I would like to thank Jessica McDonald for leading this organization over the last year with strength and dignity. I would also like to thank all our employees for their hard work and dedication. I am truly honoured to lead this organization and am eager to listen and work with you to keep making this great company stronger – and well-positioned to serve future generations of Canadians.
Doug Ettinger
President and Chief Executive Officer