Royal Schiphol Group Names Maritime Veteran Van Oord As New CEO

Royal Schiphol Group, the manager of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), has named Pieter van Oord as its new CEO, with a four-year term starting on June 1, 2024.

Van Oord has managed international maritime contractor Royal Van Oord, which is heavily involved in offshore energy production, for 15 years.

The Royal Schiphol Group supervisory board says in a statement it is appointing van Oord to the chief executive post “because of his extensive managerial experience in a complex, operational sector.” The board adds that “making the aviation sector more sustainable weighed heavily in the decision” to appoint van Oord.

Ruud Sondag, who has been interim CEO since November 2022, will stay in the role until March 1, 2024, when CFO Robert Carsouw will temporarily take over as interim CEO until van Oord ascends to the post on June 1, 2024.

“Van Oord is a highly experienced and internationally oriented CEO of a successful company," says Jaap Winter, chairman of Royal Schiphol Group’s supervisory board. “He has extensive experience in the field of logistics operations and asset management, two areas in which there will be significant challenges for Schiphol in the coming years. For Pieter, sustainability is a key issue. This is in line with Schiphol's ambitions to accelerate sustainability and reduce its environmental and climate impact.”

Van Oord adds that AMS “is a major hub for Dutch and international mobility." 

"I realize that this significance must go hand-in-hand with other interests, both within and outside the airport. I am happy to contribute to the transition of Schiphol and aviation, based on a responsibility I feel toward our society,” van Oord says.

The CEO appointment comes on the heels of the Dutch government reversing course on a controversial plan to cut flights at AMS. Airlines are now allowed to maintain their planned schedules at the airport during the 2024 summer season.

AMS announced earlier this month that it is raising airport charges by 14.8% in 2024, more than the 12% increase previously planned. “The additional increase is necessary due to lost income in 2022, when there was less air traffic,” AMS says.

Carsouw says AMS understands airlines are “not very pleased” with the increase in charges, but, “at the same time, it's necessary for the quality at Schiphol and for our financial position.”