KLM has nominated Mathieu Essenberg as Chief Operating Officer and member of its statutory Managing Board, pending approval at an Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders and a positive advisory opinion from the Works Council.
Essenberg, 52, has been with KLM since 2002 and has held management roles across KLM Cityhopper, Flight Operations, Engineering & Maintenance, and Ground Services. He currently heads Engineering & Maintenance as Executive Vice President and has been serving as interim COO for the past two months. He is also an active pilot, having flown as a Boeing 737 captain at KLM since 2017.
“With Mathieu, we have found an excellent candidate from within our own organisation for the role of COO. He knows the airline inside out and has proven in various divisions and roles within KLM to be a driven and inspiring leader,” said Marjan Rintel, President and CEO of KLM.
Wiebe Draijer, Chairman of the KLM Supervisory Board, described Essenberg as having the leadership, expertise, and ability to bring people together that the COO role demands.
“Safety, operational reliability and an excellent experience for our passengers will always be central to this,” said Essenberg. “I am convinced that we can be successful in this and, in doing so, contribute to KLM’s success.”
Following approval, KLM’s Managing Board will consist of Marjan Rintel as President and CEO, Bas Brouns as CFO, Mathieu Essenberg as COO, and Miriam Kartman as Chief People Officer. A recruitment process for a new head of Engineering & Maintenance has been launched.
