DPDgroup has increased its majority shareholding in e-commerce delivery company WnDirect to 83%, effectively taking full control of the business.

The two companies have been working together for a number of years and said the deal would support international expansion of WnDirect.

WnDirect’s services are designed for e-retailers sending goods overseas.

Founder and owner Stuart Hill, who remains a shareholder in WnDirect, has retained a critical role in the business, although the head of DPD’s global solution team Simon Batt has become its CEOIt took full control of the company on 30 December 2016, with 83% of the company's shares.

Batt said: "I’m very excited to have this opportunity to pull together two great teams and to continue to develop solutions to enable our customers’ international cross border strategies.

"To be able to harness the innovation, technology and spirit of WnDirect at the same time as leveraging the DPDgroup networks, partnerships and infrastructures will enable us to provide unrivalled solutions to our customers and partners.”

Hill added: “What has been achieved by the team so far is quite astounding when you consider WnDirect is still a relatively young business.

“It is testament to everyone that we have grown so significantly whilst retaining the DNA and ethos which made it exciting in the first place.  I am thrilled to be part of the team for the future.”

For the year ended 3 January 2016, DPDgroup UK recorded turnover of £948.9m, up 9% on the previous year, and pre-tax profit of £124.9m (2015: £105.9m).

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