Roger van Boxtel appointed as CEO of NS, Dutch Railways

On the recommendation of the NS Supervisory Board, Roger van Boxtel has been appointed as CEO of NS by the Minister of Finance, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, until August 2019.

On 1 August 2015 he was appointed as interim CEO to re-establish trust in the organisation after the Fyra incidents and the irregularities found in the public transportation tender in Limburg. The NS Supervisory Board and the shareholder share the opinion that Van Boxtel, with the support of the wider board, is the right person to continue to take NS forward.

In March this year, under the stewardship of Van Boxtel, NS presented its renewed strategy for 2016-2019, and started the process of making itself a more agile organisation. As part of this, it has started implementing the lessons learned from the parliamentary enquiry into Fyra. There has also been the introduction of the 'NS in Control' programme, which is aimed at bringing risk control and internal procedures within NS to a higher standard.

Commenting on his appointment, Roger van Boxtel said:

"In the past eighteen months, I have witnessed how committed all our colleagues are to achieving the best possible outcomes for our passengers. The next two years will be crucial, as we will be thoroughly reviewed in 2019 to see whether we are on the right track to deliver the committed obligations for the core network.

"That is why we need to show the best of our capabilities - at our stations, in our workshops and on our trains. It is my ambition to make NS a strong and healthy company again - one that is able to take charge of its own future. I look forward to working with colleagues to achieve this in the years to come."

Roger van Boxtel has broad experience in both the private and public sectors. He was chairman of Menzis from 2004 to 2015 and held various political and governmental positions prior to this.

The NS board now consists of the CEO, Roger van Boxtel; the CFO, Bert Groenewegen; the Chief GRCO, Susi Zijderveld; the COO, Marjan Rintel; and the Chief Commerce and Development Officer, Maurice Unck a.i. It is expected that the NS Board will announce the new Chief Commerce and Development Officer shortly.

The NS Supervisory Board and the shareholder are delighted that Roger van Boxtel will continue to lead NS, using his wealth of experience and binding powers. The NS Works Council has also given a positive recommendation to the extension of his appointment. With the extension of his contract, the conditions of his employment contract will remain unchanged. Abellio is a 100% subsidiary of NS.

About Abellio

175 years of experience has embedded in Abellio a social duty to passengers which extends beyond the journey on one of our trains, trams or buses. The passenger is at the heart of everything we do. The delivery of safe, reliable and comfortable services is the starting point for every transport provider, but that is not enough for Abellio. Our services must play an integrated role in the socio-economic development of the societies we serve.