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Part of:
Leadership

The manage­ment team

As a provider of high-quality aircraft maintenance for regional aircraft, innovation and sustainability are high on the agenda at Regional Jet Center. The management team of RJC is committed daily to fast, efficient and safe operations using the latest technology. All members contribute to this with their expertise. Meet the management team!

“They did not know it was impossible, so they just did it.”

Olaf Hoftijzer

Managing Director

Olaf Hoftijzer has been the Managing Director of the Regional Jet Center since 2023. From his love of aviation, he is committed to the future-oriented ambitions of the Regional Jet Center. For Olaf, cooperation is key, based on respect for and trust in each other.

Olaf has a broad background within the KLM Group by fulfilling both commercial and operational management roles and holding various positions abroad. After studying international law and business economics, he began his career at KLM in 1999 in the commercial division. From 2008, he held several international positions, including that of Commercial Director in Beirut and Rome. In 2013, Olaf moved within KLM to Engineering & Maintenance (E&M), where he served as Director of Training before becoming Vice President for Europe & Key Accounts.

With his experience and entrepreneurial mentality, Olaf continues to put RJC on the map nationally and internationally. In doing so, he focuses on continuity in operational quality, further innovation and the RJC as a pleasant working environment, to continue the successful course of the RJC.

Hans Zwetsloot

Manager support & logistics

Hans Zwetsloot joined the management team in 2019 and is responsible for the Support & Logistics department within RJC. As Manager Support & Logistics he leads approximately seventy professionals in teams that support the aircraft maintenance operation with short- and long-term planning, capacity planning, technical support, logistics and technical training.

Before Hans joined RJC, he gained knowledge and experience both inside and outside the aircraft maintenance world. For example, he worked in the defense and offshore industries. From 2002, he applied his entrepreneurial and analytical skills within KLM in various positions in aircraft maintenance, logistics and engineering, before making the move to KLM’s subsidiary Regional Jet Center in 2019.

Hans encourages his teams in their personal development and likes to lead by example in this himself. For example, after studying aerospace engineering at TU Delft, he took a business administration course at Kvk, and successfully completed an Executive MBA at Nyenrode in 2022.

“Seeing opportunities makes the world so much more beautiful. It opens your eyes to opportunities for further improvement and has a positive effect on the people around you.”

“Having attention for each other, taking time for that and laughing with each other regularly; to me those are important ingredients for a pleasant working environment.”

Nathalie van Tekelenburg

head of hr & iR

Nathalie van Tekelenburg joined RJC’s management team as Head of HR & IR in early 2022. Under her leadership, the HR department is shaping RJC’s ambition to be and remain an attractive employer. RJC’s five core values – pride, reliability, entrepreneurship, connectedness and leadership – play a major role in this. Nathalie is committed to meeting the needs of employees on a daily basis. In addition, together with the Managing Director, she is liaison with the works council and the unions involved in RJC.

Before Nathalie joined the RJC team, she advised as an employment lawyer the management, executives and HR departments of several large companies in – sometimes-complex – employment-related issues. She also worked for several years at Martinair, Transavia and KLM as a labor lawyer.

Marcel Schoneveld

Head of Information Management, Sustainability Lead

Marcel Schoneveld joined the management team in 2022 and is responsible for IT services within the Regional Jet Center. His team ensures that RJC is provided with reliable, modern IT resources and the software that supports RJC’s business processes. In addition, his team plays an important role in the RJC’s innovation ambition, such as digitization, virtual reality, data management and mobile working.

In 1992, Marcel began his career at Transavia’s Aircraft Maintenance organization, where he held various positions. During that period, his interest in ICT and innovation grew. In 2009, he transferred to Martinair, where he led ICT projects and managed the Information Management Team from 2021. When that team was also set up at RJC in 2022, he saw an opportunity to combine IT services and innovation with his acquired knowledge of and experience in aircraft maintenance. Marcel strives for quality and a solid structure, creating room for trust, vision, creativity and fun at work.

“Love conquers all; commitment and respect make you stronger and the work a lot more fun.”

“Safety, all of us, always.”

Chris Palmen

head safety & compliance management

Chris Palmen has served as Head of Safety & Compliance within the Regional Jet Center since 2023. In this position, he leads a team of Safety Officers.

Chris is no stranger to the aviation industry. He started his career in 1988 at XP Express Parcel Systems at Maastricht Airport. A year later he made the move to KLM Cargo, where among other things he was employed as a Cargo Planner. The skills he acquired in the first years of his career were put to full use in the various positions he held at KLM Flight Operations and KLM Flight Dispatch (including the positions of Flight Operations Officer, Flight Dispatcher, Flight Dispatch Supervisor and ATM Training Manager) in the twenty four years that followed.

In 2017, Chris temporarily swung away from KLM to pursue an Executive MBA at TIAS (Tilburg). He successfully completed the program and put what he learned into practice at PMT Schiphol, in the role of Training Manager. Throughout Chris’ career, safety played a central role. The interim role of Safety & Compliance Manager at the Aviation Police was therefore a natural step, as was the role that subsequently came his way; Duty Manager Transavia OCC. Chris is now working within the Regional Jet Center to raise awareness of the subject of safety, together with his colleagues, to the highest level.

Bert Vos

director aircraft maintenance

Bert Vos has been part of the RJC’s management team since 2020. As Director Aircraft Maintenance & Support Shops, he manages approximately 160 employees who perform maintenance and repair work. In addition, Bert is deputy to the Managing Director of RJC and Nominated Person EASA Part145.

Bert believes it is important to establish a stable organization in which employees can work safely, responsibly and with pleasure. On this strong foundation he offers room for improvement and innovation in the interest of the company and aircraft maintenance. Building and maintaining a healthy corporate culture is something Bert gets a lot of energy from.

Before joining RJC, Bert represented RJC as project manager in the KLM-wide chromium-6 project. Prior to that, he spent over 20 years in various leadership roles at KLM; including Flight Operations and Ground Services. Before his time at KLM, Bert worked in the navigation office at Martinair Holland NV for over 11 years. So his resume breathes aviation!

“Work together, learn from each other, be responsible and focus on the future.”

“Every day a little bit better, has a huge impact in the long run.”

Michiel Bussemaker

Manager finance & contracts

Michiel Bussemaker joined the management team in April 2022 and is responsible for the Finance & Contracts department within RJC. The department consists of 5 professionals who carry out work divided over the fields of finance, purchasing and sales.

Before Michiel joined RJC, he worked for 4 years as a business controller at KLM E&M Engine Services. Here he gained a lot of experience in the world of aircraft maintenance, finance and commerce. Michiel obtained a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at the University of Groningen and obtained a master’s degree in Financial Management at the Vu University of Amsterdam in 2015.