Key takeaways
- Around 300 roles are affected across DP World’s European operations.
- The company has not disclosed how many employees will ultimately lose their jobs.
- Three senior European executives have recently left their positions.
- DP World is simultaneously investing €48 million in a new cold-chain hub in Antwerp.
- Its terminals in the UK and Antwerp recorded their highest-ever container volumes in 2025.
DP World has confirmed that approximately 300 roles will be affected by a restructuring of its European business, although the company has provided few details about the geographical or operational scope of the changes.
Crucially, the figure should not be interpreted as 300 confirmed redundancies. DP World clarified that the restructuring would result in the loss of around 300 roles, but has not disclosed how many employees will leave the company or whether some will move into other positions.
DP World has not publicly identified the countries, sites or business units in which the affected roles are located.
Senior European executives depart
The reorganisation follows the departure of three senior managers from DP World’s European operations. Dries Van Hoeymissen, executive vice-president for Central Europe; Tony Hotine, executive vice-president for Western Europe; and Markus Rodatz, chief operating officer for Freight Europe, have all left their respective positions.
The changes were not announced formally by DP World. According to The Loadstar, the executives disclosed them through updates to their LinkedIn profiles. Hotine confirmed that he had left the company, while the precise status of the other two was initially less clear.
The Loadstar also reported, citing industry sources, that Marc Kleinclauss, vice-president of commercial operations for Eastern Europe, and Richard Bingham, national sales director in Switzerland, may have departed. DP World has not publicly confirmed those two reported exits.
Restructuring contrasts with record port volumes
The shake-up comes after a year of strong throughput growth at some of DP World’s most important European terminals. London Gateway handled more than three million TEU in 2025, an increase of over 52% from the 1.9 million TEU recorded a year earlier. Southampton exceeded two million TEU, taking the combined annual volume at DP World’s two UK terminals above five million TEU for the first time.
The group is also continuing its expansion in the UK. Two additional all-electric berths are under construction at London Gateway as part of a £1 billion investment, while a £170 million BOXBAY container-handling system is due to be developed at the site. Southampton is meanwhile receiving new quay cranes through a separate £60 million programme.
In Belgium, DP World Antwerp Gateway handled a record 2.47 million TEU in 2025, up 8.6% year on year. The terminal is nearing the completion of an expansion programme intended to increase capacity and raise the level of automation.
New €48 million Antwerp logistics hub
DP World announced another major European investment on 5 August, shortly before the restructuring became public. The company will initially invest €48 million in a new temperature-controlled logistics hub next to Antwerp Gateway. Further infrastructure spending could take the project’s total long-term value to approximately €100 million.
Developed with logistics property company Montea and Maatschappij Linkerscheldeoever, the facility will occupy an 83,000-square-metre site and provide more than 55,000 square metres of specialist warehousing.
It will primarily serve the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors, while around half of its warehouse capacity will be used for perishables such as bananas and other fresh produce. Customers in the chemicals and technology industries will also be served.
Its location beside the container terminal will allow DP World to combine maritime transport, terminal handling, storage and inland distribution, with access to road, rail and inland waterways.
