New Royal Mail owner appoints former minister Greg Hands as adviser

Former UK trade minister Greg Hands has been appointed as an adviser to the new owner of Royal Mail.

Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky’s business EP Group announced that the former Conservative minister has been made a full-time strategic adviser on Monday.

Mr Hands, who was minister for trade policy until last summer when he lost his seat in the House of Commons, will advise the business with a “special focus on the UK and Germany”, the investment business said.

He said in a statement on LinkedIn that he has known Mr Kretinsky, who has been dubbed the Czech Sphinx, for “a long time”.

The appointment came as Royal Mail’s parent firm, International Distribution Services (IDS), formally left the London Stock Exchange on Monday after being taken over by Mr Kretinsky.

In April, shareholders approved the £3.6 billion takeover deal, giving the more than 500-year-old company a foreign owner for the first time.

Mr Hands said: “I am honoured to join EP Group as strategic adviser for the UK and Germany.

“I have known Daniel Kretinsky for a long time, and I know that EP Group has a strong track record in energy and infrastructure.

“I look forward to contributing to its continued growth and commitment to energy security and sustainable energy solutions in these regions.”

Mr Kretinsky said: “We are delighted to welcome Greg Hands to EP Group.

“His deep understanding of the UK and German business and energy landscapes, coupled with his extensive experience in government and international trade, will be invaluable as we navigate the evolving sectors in these key markets.

“Greg has unique capabilities for the job, including fluency in German and good Czech, and understands many of our markets very well.”