DHL Group has announced the appointment of Joe Joseph as CFO of Deutsche Post AG, the listed parent company of the logistics giant, effective June 1, 2027. He will succeed long-serving CFO Melanie Kreis, whose contract is set to expire on May 31, 2027.
The decision was approved by the Supervisory Board of Deutsche Post AG, marking a planned leadership transition in which Kreis will hand over responsibility for the Group’s finance function to a trusted colleague after more than a decade on the Board of Management.
Joseph, currently CFO of DHL Express, brings nearly three decades of experience within the organization. The Australian executive has spent more than 28 years with DHL Express, holding senior finance leadership positions across the Middle East, Asia, and Europe before assuming his current role in 2014.
Dr. Katrin Suder, Chairperson of the Supervisory Board of Deutsche Post AG, praised Kreis for her significant contribution to the company’s growth and financial strength.
“Over two decades, Melanie Kreis has made an outstanding contribution to DHL Group’s development. Her strategic foresight, financial expertise, and disciplined focus on value creation have been instrumental in building the company’s strong position,” Suder said. “With Joe Joseph, an experienced leader from within our own ranks, joining the Board of Management as CFO. His successful tenure as CFO of DHL Express gives us confidence in his ability to ensure continuity and advance our disciplined financial strategy.”
Under Kreis’ leadership, DHL Group maintained a value-focused financial approach, delivering stable or increasing dividends for ten consecutive years while also returning value to shareholders through share buyback programs.
DHL Group CEO Tobias Meyer highlighted Kreis’ lasting impact on both the company’s performance and culture.
“For many colleagues at DHL Group, Melanie has been the only CFO they can remember. She embodies integrity, discipline, rationality, and empathy and has strengthened the company’s performance and resilience while inspiring generations of leaders,” Meyer said. “With Joe Joseph, a leader who knows our company exceptionally well, will take over and continue to develop our successful financial strategy.”
Kreis expressed confidence in the transition and in her successor’s ability to lead the finance organization into its next chapter.
“It is never easy to find the right moment for a transition like this, but all of us involved are convinced this is the right time to ensure the succession in the best possible way for our company,” she said. “After more than two decades with DHL Group and 12 years on the Board of Management, I feel deep gratitude for what we have achieved together. I am particularly pleased that Joe, an experienced and trusted successor, is ready to take on the role.”
The appointment ensures continuity in DHL Group’s financial leadership as the company continues to execute its long-term growth and value-creation strategy.
