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The Air France-KLM Board of Directors has approved that the Supervisory Board of KLM, after close consultation with CEO Pieter Elbers, has established that Pieter Elbers will not enter into a third term as CEO & President of KLM on 1 March 2023.

© André Orban

This enables the Supervisory Board of KLM to start a thorough process for a successor in a timely manner.

Anne-Marie Couderc, Chair of Air France-KLM: “The Air France-KLM Group and its Board of Directors express their gratitude towards Pieter Elbers for his 30+ years of service to KLM and for the transformation he initiated and continues to conduct as CEO & President.”

Benjamin Smith, CEO of Air France-KLM adds “I am grateful for the spirit in which this process has been held. I thank Pieter for his commitment and I know I can count on him and the entire KLM team to ensure a smooth leadership transition with his successor.”

Cees ‘t Hart, chairman of the KLM Supervisory Board, said: “In view of the expiration of his second term, which provides the Supervisory Board a natural moment for consideration, we have, after consultation with Pieter, concluded not to enter into a third term. The continuity of KLM’s leadership greatly benefits from being able to establish this at an early stage. It enables us to initiate a thorough succession process and also to offer a new CEO a sufficient induction period. It is also a time when the restructuring plan has largely been implemented, which positions KLM well for recovery and further development. With thirty years at KLM, eleven years on the Board of Management including two terms as CEO, Pieter has an enormous track record and significance for KLM. Partly for this reason, it is important that we are able to achieve a smooth leadership transition“.

KLM President & CEO Pieter Elbers concluded: “After two terms, more than eight years, of leadership as CEO of KLM, I am handing over the baton with full confidence. It goes without saying that I am committed to supporting KLM in this transition to new leadership. I am extremely proud of this company and its fantastic employees. Especially in these hectic and difficult times, they remain the strength of KLM. My thirty-year career with the blue KLM family has been an unimaginably beautiful journey that I will always cherish. I very much enjoy the cooperation with my colleagues and look forward to this in the coming period.”

Paris and Amstelveen, 13 January 2022

This post was published on 13 January 2022 20:53

André Orban

M. Sc. Engineering

Published by
André Orban

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