Frecciarossa (Photo Credit: Rail Europe)
WHY IT RATES: Rail Europe will move forward under a new vision with Björn Bender stepping down as CEO and Executive Chairman and leaving the company after four impressive years at the helm.—Patrick Clarke, TravelPulse Senior Editor
Rail Europe has announced leadership changes following the company’s acquisition by Omio Group, the global leader in multimodal travel.
Björn Bender will step down as CEO and Executive Chairman of Rail Europe, effective today, and move on from the company after four years.
Bender led Rail Europe through a significant transformation after its acquisition by Hivest Capital and Bpifrance in 2022. During his tenure, Rail Europe completed its transformation into a fully independent business, strengthened its technology platform and product offering, expanded its global reach and reinforced its position as a leading global distributor of European rail. Today, Rail Europe’s platform serves four million travellers annually, works with over 250 rail operators and is supported by 25,000 travel sellers and partners worldwide.
Following Björn’s departure, Jean-Francois Bessiron will lead Rail Europe as President, alongside his role as Chief B2B Officer of Omio Group. He will oversee Rail Europe as it begins integrating into the Group, drawing on Omio’s technology, platform capabilities, and multimodal inventory.
Jean-Francois will be supported by Dau-Khoi Nguyen, who has returned to Rail Europe as Chief Operating Officer. Dau-Khoi brings deep knowledge of Rail Europe’s business, partners and operating model, having previously served as the company’s CEO from 2018 to 2022. Reporting to Jean-Francois, he will lead day-to-day operations during the integration phase and maintain continuity for Rail Europe’s teams, customers and partners.
Omio Group acquired Rail Europe in late July 2026, following the completion of a CSE consultation process in France. Rail Europe will continue operating under its established brand, serving both B2B partners and travellers.
Jean-Francois Bessiron, President of Rail Europe and Chief B2B Officer of Omio Group, said: “Björn has made a lasting contribution to Rail Europe. Under his leadership, the company strengthened its independence, platform, and international positioning, creating solid foundations for its next phase of growth. We sincerely thank him for his commitment to the business, our people, and our partners, and wish him every success for the future.
“Dau-Khoi’s return as Chief Operating Officer brings valuable consistency, and his experience will be a tremendous asset whilst Rail Europe is integrated into Omio Group. Together with the wider leadership team, we will build on the strong foundations Björn has helped put in place and continue delivering for travellers and partners.”
Björn Bender said: “It has been a real privilege to lead Rail Europe over the past four years. Together with an incredible team, we transformed Rail Europe into an independent business and built a unique position in the global rail industry. I am proud of what we have achieved together and deeply grateful to our teams, customers and partners who made this journey possible. I wish Jean-François, Khoi and the entire team every success for the next chapter.”
SOURCE: Rail Europe press release.
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