Otto de Bont to take over the Thales NL helm from Gerben Edelijn

Thales has announced the appointment of Otto de Bont as chief executive officer of its Dutch division. He’ll succeed Gerben Edelijn, who has expressed his wish to retire after sixteen years in the position. As of January, De Bont will join the company, formally taking over the helm on 1 April. In his new role, he’ll oversee Thales’ strategy and operations in the Netherlands, focusing on the industrial ramp-up, reinforcing local innovation and engineering capabilities, and delivering advanced solutions across defense, aerospace, cyber and digital markets.

The former CEO of waste management company Renewi, De Bont brings a solid track record in driving transformation and strengthening operations in high-tech and sustainability. He’s also held executive and commercial positions in the US and Europe at United Technologies and General Electric. He’s a member of TNO’s energy and materials transition advisory board and holds an MSc degree in business science from the University of Twente.

Gerben Edelijn is ending a 36-year career with Thales. He started as a software engineer in 1990 and has worked in many international roles in the company. Under his leadership, Thales the Netherlands has almost doubled in revenue and employees and has expanded the footprint of the Above Water Systems business line across Europe.