2019 · IPO
€2bn
Trainline, London Stock Exchange
As President of Trainline International through the listing, one of the largest European tech IPOs of the year.
Chairman · NED · Supervisory Board
Daniel Beutler
Chairman and non-executive director for companies in growth and transformation, across sectors.
Three exits. One London IPO. Twenty years on both sides of the board table.
€2bnvaluation at the Trainline IPO, London 2019
3 exitsCaptain Train 2016, Trainline 2019, Rail Europe 2026
45 countriescovered by Trainline International's distribution
20 yearson both sides of the board table, from trainee to chairman
Board record
Four chairs, from corporate group to scale-up.
In a state-owned group, a start-up, a listed company and investor-backed businesses.
Departures · Board rolesAs of 2026
| When | Company | Role | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| since 2024 | Transreport, LondonNOW | Chairman | Rebuilt governance and board processes, brought in the CFO, supporting the European expansion, King's Award for Enterprise 2025. |
| 2022–2026 | Rail Europe, Paris | Chairman of the Supervisory Board | Involved in selecting the CEO, through the toughest years the industry has seen, led the board through the sale to Omio. |
| 2018–2019 | Trainline International | President & Chairman of the Board | Member of the Group ExCo, London Stock Exchange IPO. |
| 2011–2014 | DB France, Paris | CEO & Chairman of the Board | €150m revenue, also Director Western Europe at Deutsche Bahn. |
Also board seat at Ulysse in Paris, strategic committee at eBikeLabs, advisory board at MUVN, and since 2019 Network Expert "Future of Mobility" at the World Economic Forum.
Exits
Three companies taken all the way.
Once as a founder, once as an executive, once as chair of the board.
2016 · Sale
€200m
Captain Train to Trainline
Built and scaled as Late Co-Founder and COO, one of the largest French tech exits of its time.
2026 · Sale
Omio
Rail Europe to Omio
As Chairman, led the board through the sale process, signed in July 2026.
As chair
Three roles in one mandate.
Coach to the CEO
Sparring before the big decisions, not after them. Uncomfortable questions early, and room for the CEO to run the company.
Supervisor for the shareholders
Clear governance, a reliable board rhythm, board papers you can actually decide on.
Moderator in the room
Bringing founders, investors and management to one table, especially when interests pull apart.
What I bring, in any sector
Governance, CEO selection, strategy and transformation, M&A, IPO and exit readiness, international expansion across the UK, France and Germany.
Where I know the business from the inside
Rail, mobility, travel tech, transport and logistics. Scale-ups, PE- and VC-backed companies, corporate groups.
Results
What else came out of it.
Trainline goes international
260 rail carriers in 45 countries, 19 languages, sales in 173 countries.
European rail distribution
Launched the international online ticket at Deutsche Bahn, paving the way for bahn.com.
ICE Hamburg – Copenhagen
Responsible for the launch of the line.
Global partner network
Deutsche Bahn partner management with over €100m in volume, set up the DB office for Australasia in Bangkok.
King's Award for Enterprise 2025
The UK's most prestigious business award, for Transreport in the Innovation category.
Franco-German Business Award
From the German-French Chamber of Commerce, under the patronage of both ministries of the economy, for Captain Train.
Career
The timetable.
Transreport, London · Chairman
Chairing the board of the platform behind assisted rail travel in Great Britain.
Rail Europe, Paris · Chairman of the Supervisory Board
Chair until the sale to Omio.
Executive coach and business angel
Coaching founders, CEOs and leadership teams, trained at Meyler Campbell in London. 17 investments as a business angel.
Trainline International · President & Chairman of the Board
Member of the Group ExCo and spokesperson for the international business. Prepared and delivered the London IPO.
Captain Train, Paris · Late Co-Founder & COO
Built and scaled the company through its acquisition by Trainline in 2016.
DB France, Paris · CEO & Chairman of the Board
€150m revenue, 30 staff, three call centres, four websites. Also Director Western Europe, DB Sales & Marketing, Brussels.
DB Sales & Marketing, Frankfurt · Area Manager Overseas Markets
Global partner management, set up the office in Bangkok.
DB Long-Distance, Frankfurt · Management Trainee
Where it started.
Education
Diplom in Transport Economics, Dresden University of Technology · Logistics and Management, McGill University, Montreal · Coaching Mastered Program, Meyler Campbell, London
Also
Coaching, investments, a book.
Coaching
For those who are scaling
Executive coaching for founders, CEOs and leadership teams. More at danielbeutler.coach.
Angel
17 investments
Mostly where mobility, accessibility and software meet.
Book
Exit Ahead · The Scale-Up Playbook
2021, SWATT Books. What worked when scaling and exiting, and what did not.
Contact
Let's talk about your board.
Open to one further Chair or NED role in Europe, in my home sector or well beyond it.
EnglishDeutschFrançaisBased near Hamburg