Appointed: May 2005
Age: 60
Committee memberships: Finance, Remuneration (Committee chairman)

John Allan joined the Board in May 2005. He retires as CFO of Deutsche Post on 30 June 2009, having been appointed to the Management Board following its acquisition of Exel plc in December 2005 where he had been Chief Executive since September 1994.

He is Non-executive Director of ISS and will become Chairman of DSG International plc on 2 September 2009.

John started his career in marketing, at Lever Brothers, moving to Bristol-Myers Company Ltd and then Fine Fare Ltd. He joined BET plc in 1985 and was appointed to the board in 1987.

He is a member of the supervisory boards of both Lufthansa AG and Deutsche Postbank and a member of the University of Edinburgh Campaign Board. John was previously Chairman of Samsonite Corporation and a Non-executive Director of PHS Group plc,  Wolseley plc, Hamleys plc and Connell plc.