UPS has announced that Markus Kessler has been appointed as the country cluster manager for UPS with responsibility for the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Iceland. He will be responsible for overseeing small package operations and driving business development and strategy throughout this vital region.  

 “I’m so proud to take up this new role. This part of Europe is home to an incredible team of UPSers, as well as dynamic businesses with huge export potential. I’m looking forward to helping businesses of all sizes take advantage of international opportunities through our service and technology,” says Kessler.

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These countries boast some of UPS’s most advanced and vital facilities, including our state-of-the-art healthcare facility in Dublin, our UK air hub at East Midlands Airport, as well as a smart network across the Nordics to support exporting-oriented businesses.

In his previous role as country manager for UPS in Austria and Switzerland, Markus was focused on development and expansion of UPS’s business across these two countries, maintaining UPS’s Good Distribution Practice (GDP) standards in healthcare operation and the launch of UPS Premier in Switzerland, as well as the pioneering use of lockers as UPS Access Point locations in Austria.

Markus joined UPS in 2006 as an Account Executive in Frankfurt. After being promoted to new roles in Sales, Markus became a Talent Manager in 2012. He continued his career in HR, becoming vice president for human resources and labour relations before becoming Austria and Switzerland County Manager in February 2022.

Ufku Akaltan has moved to a new role as president of West EMEAI and continues to be responsible for business operations and accelerated growth in the UK, Ireland, Nordics and India, with the addition of the West and South European country clusters.

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The newly appointed president, UPS West EMEAI Akaltan says, “Markus brings diverse and extensive experience from a range of European markets, and I’m confident that he’ll put that experience to the use of our shipping customers across the vital and strategic markets for UPS.”