Reformed-investment banker Charlie Ashton has been appointed by online courier company eCourier.co.uk, as Chief Financial Officer. Charlie's focus will be on steering eCourier.co.uk through the next stage of its growth. No mean feat for a business that has achieved year on year growth of 770% since launching in 2004.

Charlie qualified as a chartered accountant with Deloitte Haskins and Sells in 1986 before moving into investment banking, initially focusing on mergers and acquisitions at Lazard and then Flemings. After the acquisition of Flemings by JPMorgan Chase he ran their Aerospace Sector Group within the EMEA region. Charlie ended his investment banking career at HSBC where, for two years, he served as a Managing Director.

In 2005 Charlie moved into industry as Finance Director of a technology company where his primary role was to set up and run the financial and operating systems of the company and prepare the company for IPO. "I am thrilled to be joining eCourier.co.uk" he says; "Having spent a good portion of the last 20 years waiting for couriers this opportunity pushed every button. We intend to lead and mould this market which means we have a complex but highly exciting, growth phase ahead."

Tom Allason, CEO of eCourier.co.uk said: "We have had a good start to date, but during the last two years, it has really all been about proof of concept - proving that the technology works and that the business delivers. Now that it is time to really scale; in Charlie we have someone that can not only manage that growth but also help shape our long-term strategy."

After 18 months of Research & Development, eCourier began trading in September 2004, completing 25 consignments and billing less than £1,000 in with just 4 couriers. Two years on and eCourier is Europe's fastest growing delivery business with over 100 eCouriers in London, completing in excess of 20,000 deliveries per month.

For further press information, please contact:

Vicky Kyme
Union PR
Tel: 020 7428 0999
E-mail: vicky@unionpr.co.uk

Awards won by eCourier to date include:

• Evening Standard / O2: Inspirational Business Award, 2007
• British Computing Society: Small Business Achievement Award, 2006
• British Computing Society: Business Achievement Flagship Award, 2006
• O2 / Real Business, Top 50 to Watch in Mobile
• British Computer Society, President's Award for Mobile Computing
• Natwest Startups Awards, Best Use of Technology
• Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, Excellence in Information Management
• Department of Trade and Industry, Innovator's Award for Transport
• National Customer Service Awards, eCommerce Category
• Medallist for IT Director of the Year, British Computer Society (Jay Bregman, CTO)
• BT / Growing Business Essence of the Entrepreneur, UK Top 20 (Tom Allason, CEO)
• 2006 Webby Awards, Official Honouree
• Effective IT Awards: Most Innovative Use of IT, Most Effective Use of Communications Technologies and Most Effective Use of IT in Manufacturing and Logistics
• CNET Networks: Mobile Product or Initiative of the Year