Leadership transition at UPS
United Parcel Service said on August 31, 2026 that Kate Gutmann, Executive Vice President and President of International, Healthcare and Supply Chain Solutions, will retire for personal family reasons, with September 1, 2026 set as her final day in her current role. UPS Chief Executive Officer Carol Tomé described Gutmann as exemplifying "customer-focused leadership and operational excellence," and the company said Gutmann will continue to serve as a strategic advisor through March 2027. In internal remarks, Gutmann thanked her family, the executive team and UPS employees, saying she was "proud of what we've built together and the impact we make every day."
Successor and operational scope
Gutmann will be succeeded by Wilfredo Ramos, a UPS veteran who currently leads the company's Asia Pacific and Brokerage businesses and has held leadership positions across multiple regions during more than 20 years at the company. Ramos will assume the title of Executive Vice President and Chief International, Healthcare and Supply Chain Solutions Officer. The successor change places operational responsibility for international, healthcare and supply chain solutions with a manager whose prior portfolio spans two of UPS's growth-oriented business lines.
Shift to a global operating model
UPS said the transition coincides with a structural change from an international company into a "truly global enterprise," built around standardized critical operational processes across geographies while preserving local flexibility. The new operating model is intended to support greater consistency, agility and scale, and to advance the company's stated evolution from a small package carrier into a provider of integrated logistics solutions. UPS framed the redesign as the next phase after completing its Amazon volume glide-down and network reconfiguration initiatives in June 2026.
Strategic framing and growth focus
The company tied the leadership change and operating-model redesign directly to a goal of "accelerating profitable growth" following the June 2026 network reconfiguration. UPS highlighted Gutmann's six-year role in positioning UPS as "the global leader in complex healthcare logistics" and guiding the international business through what it called the most significant changes in U.S. trade policy in nearly a century, while delivering "industry-leading operating margins" across the three units she led.
Near-term milestones
Gutmann's advisory tenure is scheduled to run through March 2027, providing a defined overlap period with Ramos and the incoming global operating structure. UPS has set September 1, 2026 as the effective date for both the leadership change and the new operating model.
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