Greenwood native David Abney has been elected chairman of the board of the United Parcel Service.
On Thursday, Abney replaced Scott Davis, who will retire later this year. Abney has also served as the company’s chief executive officer since 2014.
This is the first time the Atlanta-based company has consolidated the two positions.
William R. Johnson, another UPS executive, said, “David Abney’s leadership on our Board, combined with many years of distinguished UPS service and a strong track record as CEO have prepared him to fulfill the role of both Chairman and CEO.”
Abney began working for UPS in Greenwood part-time in 1974 while he was a student at Delta State University, just one year after graduating from Pillow Academy.
Abney would attend classes during the day and unload trailers in the evening. After graduating, he went to work for the company full-time, first as a truck driver and then in operations.
At the 2015 annual meeting of the Greenwood-Leflore Chamber of Commerce, shortly after his induction into the Leflore County Hall of Fame, Abney said that UPS had taken a chance on “a very immature person who wanted to do well,” when it first hired him.
In the 40-plus years since, Abney estimated that he has held roughly 20 positions within the company.
Abney has long maintained that he didn’t start out at UPS with the intention of someday leading the company.
He has credited his success in part to his father, the late Thomas W. Abney, and two coaches from his time at Pillow Academy, all three of whom he said cultivated his work ethic and competitive streak.
UPS is somewhat of an outlier among large modern businesses in that it still heavily promotes from within its own ranks. Davis, Abney’s predecessor, is one of several former company executives who worked their way up to the top of the company.
Abney holds a BA in business administration from DSU and serves on the board of directors of the school’s alumni foundation.
“Leading UPS into the future is a great honor, and I thank each and every UPS employee, our Management Committee and our Board for the trust placed in me every day,” Abney said in a prepared statement.
“Continued international expansion, global e-commerce acceleration and growth in specialized markets present endless opportunities ahead, and it is a privilege to steer UPS to continued success.”
• Contact Nick Rogers at 581-7235 or nrogers@gwcommonwealth.com.
