Heiko Stutzinger will start as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Royal Dutch Jaarbeurs from 1 December. Together with Franka Morssink (CFO) and Albert Arp (CEO), he will form the management board from that date. Stutzinger is currently managing director of a subsidiary of the Royal Jaarbeurs Group, VNU Asia Pacific in Bangkok. He succeeds Peter van der Veer, who is stepping down from the Jaarbeurs after his two-year term.
In his new role, Stutzinger's responsibilities will include Jaarbeurs's own exhibitions and titles, such as the Vakantiebeurs and Bouwbeurs, guest and partner events, and business development. He will also remain a board member of VNU Asia Pacific.
Albert Arp, CEO of the Jaarbeurs: "We are very happy with Heiko's arrival. Heiko is seen internationally as a tremendous talent. He joins our management team at an exciting time. Last year, our industry was unexpectedly and unprecedentedly challenged by the corona pandemic. We used that very time to accelerate our ambitions in sustainability and digitalisation, with an extra focus on safety. In addition to his role as managing director, Heiko has proven experience in innovation, business development and digitalisation. At our subsidiary in Thailand, he has achieved solid results in this area over the past three years."
Heiko Stutzinger: "I am very much looking forward to becoming part of the team in Utrecht. Together we will work hard to become Europe's most sustainable conference and event venue. And at the same time, we are of course going to ensure that our customers and visitors have and keep an optimal experience at the Jaarbeurs."
Peter van der Veer
In his new role, Stutzinger succeeds Peter van der Veer, who joined the Jaarbeurs in 2019 for a period of two years. Arp: "Just after he took office in 2019, the corona period started. We are very grateful to Peter for his contribution in the past period. He has brought creative new ideas to the Jaarbeurs and opened a new market for us. These will already be fruitful in the time to come."
About Heiko Stutzinger
Heiko Stutzinger has long experience in the events industry, including as deputy managing director of Messe Düsseldorf China. He joined VNU Asia Pacific, part of Royal Dutch Jaarbeurs Group, as managing director at the beginning of 2019. Stutzinger studied business administration at EBS University in Germany.
