David Steiner on competitive strategy
From A Conversation with New Postmaster General David Steiner · · USPS
“My fear is that we're playing catch-up. We didn't get into the package business as early as our competition. We were still doing mail. So we need to really really really understand how we can best compete and then how we go about doing that.”
On , David Steiner, Former President & Chief Executive Officer at Waste Management, spoke about competitive strategy during A Conversation with New Postmaster General David Steiner on USPS.
About David Steiner
David Steiner, who became the 76th Postmaster General in July 2025, discussed his background and vision for the United States Postal Service on the agency's podcast, "Mailin' It." He described growing up as the seventh of eight children, which he said taught him the importance of teamwork and making people feel valued. Steiner noted that he previously turned down a job at Enron to join Waste Management, calling himself "the living walking embodiment of better lucky than good." Steiner outlined his strategy for the Postal Service, stating that "we can't cost cut our way into profitability" and that the organization must "grow volume" in the package industry. He acknowledged that the Postal Service is "playing catch-up" in the package business but said it has a "natural advantage in the last mile and in the first mile." Steiner also remarked that in the public sector, unlike at a shareholder-owned company, every dollar earned can be reinvested into the organization and its people.