Marthe van Rooij — SVP Digital Product Management, Air France-KLM

Digital product leader

Marthe van Rooij

I build digital products that move people — literally and strategically.

SVP Digital Product Management at Air France-KLM. Leading the full B2C experience across web, app, and loyalty for one of Europe's largest airline groups. Based in Amsterdam.

250+

direct FTE led across Amsterdam & Paris

18+

years shaping digital at Air France-KLM

100M+

customers reached through digital channels

3

languages — Dutch, English, French

Product as conviction

I don't believe in digital transformation as a project. I believe in it as a permanent state of mind.

At Air France-KLM, I'm responsible for everything a customer experiences digitally — from the first search to the moment they land. That means owning the product strategy, the platform decisions, the loyalty experience, and the organizational capability to deliver all of it at scale.

The question I keep coming back to: how do you build products that feel genuinely personal at the scale of 100 million customers? That tension — between intimacy and scale, between speed and quality — is where I spend most of my thinking.

Right now, that thinking is focused on what agentic AI means for travel distribution. Not as a technology trend, but as a structural shift in who controls the customer relationship — and what airlines need to do about it.

Things I believe

"Most digital strategies fail not because of technology, but because of a lack of clarity about what you're actually trying to own."

01

Distribution is the new battleground

Agentic AI is fundamentally reshaping how people find, compare, and book travel. Airlines that don't build direct digital relationships now will find themselves disintermediated — again, and worse.

02

Build vs. buy is the wrong question

The real question is: what capabilities define your competitive position in five years? Everything else is procurement. Outsourcing what you don't understand is fine. Outsourcing what you need to own is not.

03

Personalization is a trust problem

Most personalization fails because companies optimize for conversion rather than relevance. Customers notice. The ones who get it right treat data as a responsibility, not just a tool.

A career in motion

  • 2023 — present

    Air France-KLM

    SVP Digital Product Management

    Ownership of the full B2C digital experience across web, app, APIs, and platform capabilities — spanning sales, loyalty, and post-travel. Leading ~250 direct FTE and ~350 indirect IT across Amsterdam and Paris, with a budget of ~45M EUR/year.

    ~250 direct FTE ~45M EUR budget App, web & loyalty Flying Blue
  • 2020 — 2023

    Air France-KLM

    VP Digital Product

    Led the product management team in end-to-end delivery of Air France-KLM's digital portfolio — mobile and web front-ends, APIs, and back-ends. Accountable for sustainable business value across all digital touchpoints. Managing 80 direct reports and ~450 IT professionals.

    80 direct reports ~450 IT professionals Full portfolio ownership
  • 2016 — 2020

    Air France-KLM

    Director Digitizing Passenger Operations

    Drove the digital transformation of KLM Passenger Business Operations through mobile applications and APIs supporting 17,000 front-line staff. Developed Inflight Connectivity on Air France-KLM aircraft and positioned "onboard" as a digital touchpoint.

    17,000 front-line staff Inflight connectivity 10M EUR budget
  • 2015 — 2016

    Air France-KLM

    Digital Experience Manager

    Defined and implemented the commercial API strategy as technical enabler for merging Air France and KLM's digital development capabilities (eConvergence). Established scaled agile ways of working across 300+ IT professionals.

    API strategy 300+ IT professionals
  • 2013 — 2015

    Air France-KLM · Paris

    Program Director Transavia

    Defined the European point-to-point strategy for Air France-KLM by repositioning Transavia as a European low-cost brand, facilitating growth in France (CAGR 2013–2018: 25%). Integrated financial reporting and commercial strategy of Transavia Netherlands and France.

    CAGR 25% European LCC strategy
  • 2009 — 2013

    Air France-KLM · Paris

    Senior Pricing Manager

    Defined and implemented the intercontinental pricing strategy for home and international markets and global corporate clients. Coordinated pricing for Delta Air Lines, Kenya Airways, Air Mauritius, and GOL. Managing a team of 13 and a revenue portfolio of 2.3B EUR/year.

    2.3B EUR portfolio 13 direct reports
  • 2007 — 2009

    KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

    Yield Analyst

    Optimized revenue on intercontinental flights by forecasting demand and passenger value. Revenue portfolio of 200M EUR/year.

    200M EUR portfolio
  • 2007

    LSG Sky Chefs · Lufthansa · Frankfurt

    Product Manager

    Developed and implemented technical in-flight service equipment and processes for airline customers including Lufthansa, Virgin, and Alaska Airlines.

    Lufthansa, Virgin, Alaska

Let's connect

I'm open to conversations about leadership roles, board advisory, speaking, or strategic collaboration — particularly in digital product, travel, or AI.

Reach me directly