KLM Names First Female CEO

Air France-KLM leads the airline industry in female leadership. Rail executive Marjan Rintel will become the first female CEO of the company.

Edward Russell.

The head of the Netherlands passenger rail operator, Marjan Rintel, will take over as the new CEO of KLM on July 1. Rintel will be one of the few female CEOs in the airline industry when she takes over from Elbers.

Ben Smith's mandate as CEO of the group was extended by the board of Air France-KLM, which owns both airlines plus the discounter Transavia.

The appointment of Rintel stands out. Male leaders have dominated the airline industry. According to a survey by the International Air Transport Association, only 6 per of global airline CEOs are women. 40 percent of human resources directors are women and senior leadership ranks the percentage at 13 percent.

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The airline industry is being pushed to fill 25 percent of leadership positions with women by the year 2025.

The Air France-KLM board cited Rintel's knowledge of the group, including as head of hub operations for KLM. She is the first female CEO.

With her broad managerial, commercial and operational experience, we are bringing in someone who is close to the staff and who, together with her team, will continue to shape the future of KLM as a customer-focused, sustainable and financially healthy company.

Rintel will take over a company that is well positioned to succeed in the post-pandemic market. The Air France-KLM group slashed costs dramatically during the crisis and now benefits from strong travel demand. She will lead the shift to anEADS narrowbody fleet from Boeing jets that is part of the carbon emissions reduction program. Rintel will face renewed competition from other airlines, some of which have named the Amsterdam Schiphol hub as a key market for growth in the recovery.

Rintel said that aviation is in times of great and complex challenges. From the beginning, my priority will be to fill that role successfully.

When Rintel starts on July 1st, Elbers will step down as CEO but will continue with the airline during a transition period.