Change in the management of Veiling Rhein-Maas

From 1 April 2027, Michael Bank, most recently Managing Director of the Italian subsidiary Landgard Fiori & Piante, will join Cees Hoekstra on the management board of Veiling Rhein-Maas, the joint venture between Landgard and Royal Flora Holland. Bank succeeds Günther Esser, who has served as managing director since January 2020 and is due to retire next year. Cees Hoekstra has been a member of the management team at Veiling Rhein-Maas since August 2018.

Michael Bank, aged 54, has national and international experience across the entire green value chain – from horticulture and trade to strategic and operational management. After completing his training as a florist and ornamental plant grower, he initially gained practical experience in horticulture at various posts in Germany. He subsequently expanded his specialist expertise during a seven-year stay in Italy and a year in Australia, where he worked as a gardener in both countries. Following his return to Germany in 2007, he held various management positions in the retail sector, including at Hiep & Mammarella and GASA Deutschland. Michael Bank has been with Landgard since 2017. After joining the specialist retail sector, he took over as Head of Retail before moving to the management board of Landgard Fiori & Piante in 2024.

Cees Hoekstra can look back on a 37-year career in the auction sector. After completing his studies at Wageningen University & Research, he spent twelve years as managing director of the Royal Flora Holland auction in Eelde (Netherlands). Since August 2018, he has been one of two managing directors at the helm of Veiling Rhein-Maas.

The retiring Günther Esser can look back on a long career in the horticultural sector. Since January 2020, he has worked alongside Cees Hoekstra to strategically develop Veiling Rhein-Maas as managing director and has set the course for the company’s future development. Prior to this, he held various management positions at Landgard, most recently as managing director of what was then Landgard Fachhandel GmbH & Co. KG. Other career milestones included a role at Werner Eckert GmbH and a total of 14 years as a divisional manager at Obi. His retirement next year will mark the end of his long career in the horticultural sector.