Sinotrans announces departure of CEO and CFO of KLG Europe Group

Sinotrans announces departure of CEO and CFO of KLG Europe Group

Sinotrans, the Chinese shareholder of KLG Europe Group announces that, following good and constructive consultation, it has been decided that the current CEO Erik Loijen and CFO Patrick Rutten will step down from their positions in the coming period.

Under the leadership of the current CEO and CFO KLG Europe has built a strong position and laid a solid foundation for sustainable growth. Sinotrans therefore expresses great appreciation for the dedication and leadership of both the CEO and the CFO. In a period characterized by challenging market conditions, including geopolitical tensions, wars, changing trade tariffs, and rising (energy) prices, KLG Europe has demonstrated resilience and managed to withstand the competition. This underscores the quality of the organization and its leadership.

At the same time KLG Europe is in a phase where cooperation between Europe and Asia is being further deepened. Sinotrans sees significant opportunities in this to realize synergy benefits, pool knowledge and expertise, and further strengthen the company’s position in the international market. In this context, work is underway on the next step in the organizational structure.

The continuity of business operations remains fully guaranteed. KLG Europe continues to focus on delivering services of the highest quality level to its customers and maintaining strong, sustainable relationships with suppliers and partners. For employees, nothing changes regarding their daily work.

This step creates a next phase in the development of the organization, with a central focus on further strengthening international cooperation and positioning.

Since the acquisition in 2019, KLG Europe has continued to develop and forms a very successful and important part of the Sinotrans group. Within Europe, KLG Europe serves as an example of how local strength and international cooperation can be effectively combined.

To pursue personal career development, Erik Loijen (CEO) will step down as at the end of April and will assist in the smooth transition of KLG's operations and management in an advisory capacity the upcoming months. Patrick Rutten (CFO) will step down at the end of June.

To ensure a smooth transition, Sinotrans has entrusted the current COO Marc Wijnen and the Vice President Jing Wu as shareholders-authorized representatives to coordinate the handover.

Sinotrans thanks the CEO and CFO for their dedication and valuable contribution to KLG Europe and wishes them every success in their future careers.

Jointly statement of Erik Loijen (CEO) and Patrick Rutten (CFO):

“We look back on our time at KLG Europe with pride and gratitude. Together with all colleagues, we have had the privilege of building an organization that we are rightfully proud of professional, resilient, and holding a strong position within Europe.

In particular, we wish to express our sincere appreciation to all colleagues. Your commitment, dedication, and loyalty, especially in recent years when circumstances were often challenging, have made the difference. The way you continue to work together, take responsibility, and consistently roll up your sleeves is inspiring and forms the foundation of KLG Europe’s success.

For us personally, it was a privilege to work with so many driven and committed people, who have the real blue KLG DNA. We take away not only professional pride but also great respect and appreciation for the culture and the people who make this organization what it is.

We are grateful to Sinotrans for their trust and cooperation during the last years. Even in challenging market conditions, we managed to stay on the course together and achieved results that we are proud of. We have every confidence that KLG Europe will continue to develop successfully, partly due to the further strengthening of international cooperation between Europe and Asia.

We thank all colleagues, customers, partners and suppliers for their commitment and support, and wish KLG Europe every success in the future.”