Dick Benschop steps down as CEO
Yesterday evening, Dick Benschop handed in his notice to the Supervisory Board as President Director & CEO of Royal Schiphol Group. The Supervisory Board has accepted his resignation. The Supervisory Board is looking for a successor as soon as possible and remains in close contact with the board of management about the situation at Schiphol and the measures to be taken. Dick Benschop will remain in office until there is a successor.
A lot of attention, and criticism, has been directed towards the way in which Schiphol is tackling the problems and my responsibility as CEO. On my own initiative, I am giving Schiphol the space to make a new start. I do not want the attention on me as an individual to become an obstacle for Schiphol.
The situation at Schiphol and what that means for our travellers and employees is close to my heart. I have done my very best, but we’re not there yet. I hope that things improve soon. I love Schiphol. Managing this company was a great honour.
Due to the situation and the ongoing bad news, the Supervisory Board has had very intensive contact with Schiphol's management in recent months. All possibilities for improvement were and continue to be discussed. Under Dick’s leadership, far-reaching measures were taken to stabilise the situation at Schiphol. Improvements were made during the summer, but this isn’t enough. Further intervention in the capacity and management of the security companies is necessary. As a national and international airport, Schiphol must return to offering the quality of service that passengers and airlines are accustomed to. In recent years, Dick has shifted Schiphol's course to focus on quality, care for the living environment and speeding up the process of making aviation more sustainable. We are very grateful for his leadership. We respect and understand Dick’s decision to resign. We hope to quickly find a successor.