Royal Schiphol Group has appointed Ruud Sondag as its interim CEO from November 1, 2022, until August 31, 2023. Sondag is a supervisory board member of ProRail and Port of Rotterdam, among others. He will resign from these positions to fully focus on Schiphol. Previously he was, among other things, CEO of energy company Eneco and chair of the supervisory board of services company Vebego. He was also CEO of waste collection and recycling company Van Gansewinkel Groep for over a decade and a majority shareholder of recycling firm Van Scherpenzeel Groep. Sondag will be part of Schiphol Group’s management team together with chief financial officer Robert Carsouw and chief operating officer Hanne Buis.
The Royal Schiphol Group supervisory board began the process of finding a definitive successor as soon as Dick Benschop announced his resignation. Sondag’s priority will be to bring the operational processes at Schiphol up to the level that passengers and airlines are entitled to expect. He will therefore remain until the end of the summer period of 2023.
Jaap Winter, chair of the supervisory board of Royal Schiphol Group, commented, “We are very pleased that Ruud Sondag will take up the position of CEO of Royal Schiphol Group. With his knowledge of and experience with complex and labor-intensive organizations, Ruud is the right person for this interim position. As such, he will be able to make a significant contribution to solving Schiphol’s operational challenges. He is a strategist with a broad logistical background and strong operational execution skills, who has successfully led organizations in transition. Ruud Sondag further has a proven sustainability profile that matches Schiphol’s ambition to accelerate sustainability and reduce environmental impact.”
Sondag added, “Schiphol is a beautiful company currently facing a massive challenge. I am hugely motivated together with all employees and stakeholders to get Schiphol back on track. Structural improvement is essential, for travelers, for airlines and for the Netherlands.”