Bettina Castillo becomes a new Executive Board Member for Production and Maintenance at ÖBB Rail Cargo Austria AG

Vienna, 17.8.2023 - The Supervisory Board of Rail Cargo Austria AG has appointed Bettina Castillo as a new Executive Board Member for Production and Maintenance as of January 1, 2024. She succeeds Imre Kovács, who becomes Senior Advisor for Eastern and South Eastern Europe for the ÖBB.

Castillo, a graduate in business administration, has 15 years of professional experience in logistics management. She was responsible for global supply operations management and therefore also for development and optimisation of flows of goods at IKEA in her previous position. Born in Salzburg, she started her professional career in academia at the Institute of Production and Logistics Management at Johannes Kepler University Linz before working in research and teaching logistics network planning and intermodal transport at the Kühne Institute for Logistics Management at the University of St. Gallen. From 2009 to 2015 she was active in various management roles at SBB Cargo und SBB Cargo International, becoming a member of the management team and also being the safety manager covering transport across Europe. Since 2015 she has worked as Global Supply Operations Manager at IKEA Supply AG, which is the worldwide logistics arm at IKEA.

“Bettina Castillo is a logistics specialist who will take over the Production and Maintenance departments at Rail Cargo Austria AG. I am delighted that she has decided to join the team. She is a proven logistics expert with a keen interest in rail and will be a great asset for ÖBB rail freight traffic. At the same time I would like to express my gratitude to Imre Kovács for the important accents he has set in the production department, including his contribution to the introduction of the single wagon subsidy in Hungary and am delighted that he will remain part of ÖBB as Chairman of the Board at Rail Cargo Hungaria whilst working as a Senior Advisor for Eastern and South Eastern Europe”, stated Chairman of the Supervisory Board at Rail Cargo Austria AG, ÖBB CEO Andreas Matthä.

Imre Kovács’s expertise remains with ÖBB

The former head of production at Rail Cargo Austria AG, Imre Kovács, remains Chairman of the Executive Board at Rail Cargo Hungaria. He also takes on a new position as Senior Advisor for Eastern and South Eastern Europe with the aim of further improving ÖBB’s links in these regions.

Rail Cargo Group: the freight transport division of the ÖBB
As a leading rail logistics provider in Europe, we are shaping the industry. 365 days a year – 24 hours a day. Across Europe and beyond into Asia. With our presence in 18 countries worldwide, we connect people, businesses and markets – from the first to the last mile. It’s thanks to our 5,887 logistics professionals from 34 nations that 448,000 trains a year, respectively 1,230 a day, reach their destinations safe and sound. With our efficient end-to-end logistics services, we transport over 88 million net tonnes of freight each year. A modal share of 27.5 % (preliminary value) of the total freight market in Austria makes us top of the league in Europe. Operational management of the Rail Cargo Group lies with Rail Cargo Austria AG.