Rail Europe Announces Leadership Transition as it Joins Omio Group
by Bruce Parkinson
Rail Europe has announced new leadership following its acquisition.
Rail Europe has announced leadership changes following the company’s acquisition by multimodal specialist Omio Group.
After four years, Björn Bender has stepped down as CEO and Executive Chairman. He 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 Bender’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 company, 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. Nguyen 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.
