dnata names Thiemo van Spellen as Managing Director in Netherlands

dnata has appointed Thiemo van Spellen as the new Managing Director of dnata Netherlands, effective 1 February 2026. He will lead the business through its next phase of growth, focusing on operational excellence and strengthening customer partnerships across both cargo and passenger operations.

Thiemo joins dnata from Geopost (DPDgroup), where he served as Global Accounts Managing Director, overseeing global customer strategies and cross-border business expansion. He brings extensive international experience in logistics, commercial strategy, and customer-focused growth.

In his new role, Thiemo will also focus on developing the organisational capabilities required to support dnata Netherlands’ expanding operations. The business provides cargo, ground handling, and passenger services at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, one of Europe’s busiest aviation hubs. It currently serves over 20 airlines, handles around 500,000 tonnes of cargo annually, and supports about 16,000 flights per year.

Over the past decade, dnata has steadily grown its footprint in the Netherlands, enhancing cargo and ground handling operations through innovative solutions and long-term airline partnerships. Recent investments in infrastructure, electrification of ground support equipment, and environmental management have positioned the business for sustainable growth. This includes the development of dnata Cargo City Amsterdam, a fully automated cargo facility designed to significantly expand capacity.

Thiemo succeeds Jan van Anrooy, who has retired. Stewart Angus, dnata’s regional CEO for Europe, welcomed the appointment, highlighting Thiemo’s global commercial leadership, operational insight, and people-driven management style as key to optimising dnata Netherlands’ operations. Angus also thanked Jan van Anrooy for his five years of leadership, particularly in developing the passenger handling business and supporting preparations for dnata Cargo City Amsterdam.

Thiemo van Spellen said he was “pleased to be joining the dnata team at such an exciting time” and expressed his intention to build on dnata’s strong reputation in the Netherlands while working closely with customers and partners to deliver value and sustainable growth.

Globally, dnata provides ground handling and cargo services at more than 90 airports across 16 countries. In the 2024-25 financial year, its teams handled over 794,000 aircraft turns and moved 3.1 million tonnes of cargo.