Royal Mail loses another human resources director as Kevin Green walks

Royal Mail has lost its second high-profile human resources (HR) director in a matter of weeks with Kevin Green's surprise departure from the organisation.

Green, people and organisational development director for the letters division, is understood to have left suddenly late last month. His exit follows group HR director Tony McCarthy's move to British Airways (BA) in November last year.

Green joined Royal Mail in October 2003 as chief learning officer, moving into the director role in September 2004. Before joining Royal Mail, he was managing director of HR consultancy Qtab.

Royal Mail Letters is the biggest arm of the organisation, employing the bulk of its 200,000-plus staff. Last year, it was embroiled in a high-profile and bitter dispute with its unions over pay, job cuts and modernisation plans.

Despite recent industrial relations problems, Green boosted his reputation among the profession during his time at Royal Mail by steering through major changes. The company reduced its HR spend by £57m in two years as part of a massive organisational overhaul, slashing headcount in the HR function and improving sickness absence rates.

Speaking at a Personnel Today HR Directors Club briefing in 2005, Green admitted driving the change project had been "an emotional rollercoaster".

Royal Mail confirmed Green's departure and that Dale Haddon, previously group talent director, had replaced him.

The likelihood of Green reuniting with his former boss at BA is small. Insiders have claimed the two men had a difficult working relationship, and clashed on more than one occasion.