Clemens Först, the CEO of the Austrian national freight operator Rail Cargo Group (RCG) is stepping down from his position in April 2026. Först headed the company for ten years.
The outgoing CEO says that his departure from the company is a “conscious, jointly agreed decision”, and points out that a decade as CEO is a natural mandate limit “from a good governance perspective”. Först points out that leaving the company is in line with a change in policy at RCG. It has sought to simplify the organisation and make it more efficient through a “turnaround programme”.
“While 2025 has been an exceptionally tough year, we have put in place a holistic turnaround programme with an impact well in excess of 100 million euros to lay the ground for a solid 2026 and a return to profitable growth in a very demanding market.”
Storms weathered
Först characterises his time as CEO as immensely rewarding, intense and often challenging. “Together as TeamRCG we’ve navigated COVID, supply chain shocks and the current industrial downturn, and at the same time strengthened RCG’s position as a leading European rail logistics player.”
The CEO will stay on until April 2026, then take a “short break” and open a new professional chapter.
