Johan Lundgren is returning to TUI, taking up a position on the company’s supervisory board, marking a resounding return of an executive with deep knowledge of the group and the industry.
The Swedish manager announced in 2024 his retirement from the position of CEO of easyJet, which he held for seven years, from 2017 until the end of last year. With his new position at TUI, he replaces Pepijn Rijvers, who resigned from the supervisory board “due to a new career path in the tourism sector”, as the company stated.
Lundgren began his career in tourism in 1986 at Fritidsresor, which is now part of TUI Nordic. He then served as Deputy CEO of the TUI Group and Head of the company’s markets and aviation activities from 2011 to 2015.
His return to TUI was welcomed by the chairman of the supervisory board, Dr Dieter Zetsche, who said:
“Johan Lundgren brings with him four decades of experience in tourism. He knows both the industry and TUI very well. I look forward to working together.”
Although Rijvers’ term on the supervisory board was short—he only started in February 2025—Dr Zetsche thanked the outgoing member for his contribution, while also emphasizing the company’s enthusiasm for Lundgren’s joining:
“We are delighted to welcome a highly experienced international tourism manager who knows both the industry and TUI very well.”
This move further reinforces the trend of major travel and tourism groups to invest in executives with deep brand knowledge and years of experience in the sector, at a time when the European tourism industry is focusing on resilience, sustainability, and innovation.
Lundgren’s return takes on particular weight, as he is an executive who has linked his name with the modernization of easyJet, the strengthening of sustainable aviation practices, and the shift to a digitally upgraded business model. His expertise in air transport, but also in the structure of large tourism organizations, is expected to prove invaluable to TUI, which seeks to strengthen its competitiveness in the European and global markets.
