The Flemish government has appointed Ann Schoubs as the new boss of De Lijn, who will succeed Roger Kesteloot as director-general of the Flemish transport company. The range of duties of the new minister at De Lijn is considerable. In the coming years, for example, De Lijn must find its role in a new Flemish transport landscape.

According to Flemish Minister of Mobility Lydia Peeters, Ann Schoubs best meets the expectations of the Flemish government. As the competent minister for the Flemish Transport Company De Lijn, she looks back positively on good and constructive cooperation with departing director-general Roger Kesteloot.

“The candidates have gone through a careful and phased selection procedure. With Ann Schoubs we choose someone with the necessary experience in the transport sector and with managerial positions ”, says Lydia Peeters.

Schoubs is a civil engineer by training and has had a long career with the railway company NMBS. For the past two years, she has been head of the Federal Public Service Internal Audit. In that role she examined, among other things, the procedure for replacing the army's F-16 fighter planes.

“I think I will first look at how things are going in that organization. The punctuality of De Lijn and the perception of the traveler is a point that we must immediately consider ”, says Ann Schoubs in a first reaction.

The Flemish government passed in late May agreement with the request of Roger Kesteloot to prematurely end his mandate as director-general of the Flemish Transport Company De Lijn with effect from 1 January 2021. At the end of June, the job description and selection procedure were approved. The vacancy was opened between July 31 and August 30. After a careful and phased selection procedure, the choice fell on Ann Schoubs after the final interview.

Ann Schoubs (1966) has had a long career with the NMBS (1991–2017). First as Internal Auditor, then as Manager Asset Accounting, as Corporate Controller and as CIO. She subsequently became CEO of YPTO (NMBS subsidiary with 500 employees). After two years as Head of Supply at NMBS, she was appointed Chief Audit Executive at the Federal Internal Audit, where she still works.

Roger Kesteloot

Roger Kesteloot will assist his successor in the first four months of 2021. He will retire on 1 May 2021. At the end of May, the Flemish government agreed to Roger Kesteloot's request to prematurely end his mandate as director-general of the Flemish Transport Company De Lijn with effect from 1 January 2021.

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