Dutch carrier KLM has appointed Mathieu Essenberg as chief operating officer, effective 1 August.
Essenberg, who joined KLM in 2002, has held management roles across the airline’s flight and hub operations, engineering and maintenance division, and KLM Cityhopper. He has also worked as a KLM pilot. Most recently, he served as executive vice president of engineering and maintenance before becoming interim COO following the April departure of former COO and managing director Maarten Stienen.
His appointment also gives him a seat on the carrier’s board of directors, alongside KLM president and CEO Marjan Rintel, CFO Bas Brouns and chief people officer Miriam Kartman.
Commenting on the appointment, Rintel said: “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.”
Essenberg added: “I am deeply honoured by this appointment. Together with all our KLM colleagues, I want to work on the challenges ahead of us. Safety, operational reliability and an excellent experience for our passengers will always be central to this.”