Maribor - Boris Novak has stepped down as director general of postal operator Pošta Slovenije by mutual agreement with the new supervisory board. He is succeeded by Tomaž Kokot, the chair of the supervisory board, who will step in as interim director.

The other two management board members, Andrej Rihter and Vinko Filipič, remain on the board, the company said after Tuesday's supervisory board session.

Kokot was appointed chief supervisor at the inaugural session of the supervisory board on 17 March after Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SSH) prematurely dismissed four supervisors and appointed five new ones.

Kokot has been a councillor for the ruling Democrats (SDS) in Poljčane for more than a decade and ran for mayor twice, while Mihelič is affiliated with New Slovenia (NSi), according to media reports.

Speculations about Novak's replacement emerged after he was dismissed by the government as non-executive director of the bad bank in mid-February, in what came as a surprise.

Despite the pandemic, the operator had a good 2020, reporting better-than-expected EUR 240.6 million in net sales revenue, show preliminary unaudited data.