Pieter Elbers

Some Lesser Known Facts About Pieter Elbers

• Pieter Elbers is the former president and CEO of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, which is the flagship carrier airline of the Netherland. He is a businessman who began his career with KLM and worked there for over 22 years. In May 2022, he resigned from KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and was appointed as the new CEO of IndiGo, an Indian Airline carrier.

• After completing his formal education, he began his career in 1992 at KLM. His first job position in the company was that of a Schiphol Handling Executive, which he continued to hold for three years. For the next six years, he took up various executive roles in the company. In 2000, he was promoted to the position of General Manager Mediterranean at KLM. In 2002, he was promoted to the position of General Manager of Japan & Korea, which he held till 2005.

• In 2005, he was promoted to the position of Senior Vice President of Network & Alliances. His roles and responsibilities as Senior Vice President included handling the design and development of KLM airline’s network for all its routes. Extending Partnerships and Joint Ventures with existing partners and forming new alliances with prospective businesses were also one of his responsibilities.

• He was promoted to the position of Chief Operating Officer of KLM Airlines in January 2011. In October 2014, he was promoted to the position of CEO and president of the flagship carrier at the Amstelveen office. ^[2]LinkedIn
  

  

  In April 2019, during the time of expiry of his first term as the CEO, there were rumours about him exiting the company. To refrain it from happening, about 25000 employees (71% of the KLM workforce) signed a petition to make him stay and hold the position for the second time. This petition accompanied a letter in which an employee wrote,

  There would be a very real risk of unrest among the employees and unclear and potentially unstable management if Pieter Elbers were to be forced to step down.’  ^[3]The Economic Times

• Pieter finally resigned from the position of president and CEO of KLM Airlines in May 2022. After this, he was appointed as the new CEO of Indigo as the former CEO Ronojoy Dutta was nearing retirement. IndiGo made this announcement and said,
  

  The Board of Directors of the Company, at its meeting held today, May 18, 2022, has approved the appointment of Mr. Pieter Elbers as the Chief Executive Officer and as a Whole Time Director of the Company, subject to necessary regulatory and Shareholders’ approvals.’ ^[4]Mint

• Pieter was appointed as the CEO of IndiGo a few days after the appointment of Air India’s CEO. Air India appointed Cambell Wilson as its new CEO, and comparisons were made between both the new elects.