Hessel Kaastra (1970) studied Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology (Netherlands) before starting as Product Manager at Thales, a leading French defence & aerospace group. After completing an MBA at INSEAD in Fontainebleau, he joined Bain & Company, a strategy consultancy firm.
He then started a subsidiary in Mexico for LeasePlan, global leader in corporate car leasing and fleet management. Subsequently he held global responsibility for the insurance value stream, and was CEO of the group insurance company headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. In recent years, he turned around LeasePlan’s Austrian operations, returning the company to growth and profitability.