Kees Koolen
{{short description|Dutch rally raid racer and businessman}}
{{Infobox racing driver
| name = Kees Koolen
| image = File:Kees Koolen (2016).jpg
| image_size =
| caption =
| nationality = {{flagicon|NED}} Dutch
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1965|8|19}}
| birth_place = Bergeijk, North Brabant
| current series = Dakar Rally
| first year = 2009 Dakar Rally
| current team = MM Technology
| car number = 254
| starts = 10
| championships = 0
| wins = 1
| best finish = 17th
| year = 2013 Dakar Rally and 2017 Dakar Rally
| last finish =
| prev series = FIM Cross-Country Championship (Quad)
Silk Way Rally
| prev series years = 2015-2017
2016
| titles = FIM Cross-Country Championship (Quad)
World Rally-Raid Championship (truck)
| title years = 2017
2022
}}
Kees Koolen (born 19 August 1965 in Bergeijk, North Brabant) is a Dutch rally raid racer and businessman. Koolen participated in various rally raid competitions in a variety of vehicles. Koolen also was the CEO of Booking.com. Currently he is the Chairman/CEO of Koolen Industries: a Dutch clean energy conglomerate.
Business career
Koolen studied technical business administration at the Twente University. Despite not graduating the university, started his own business as an advisor to different companies.{{cite web|title=Kees Koolen: 'Ik ben altijd aan het werk, maar ik ben ook graag lui'|url=https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2017/05/05/het-gaat-om-de-combinatie-talent-hard-werken-en-timing-maar-vooral-om-hard-werken-a1556816|website=NRC|access-date=21 January 2018}} During this time Koolen was an angel investor to different internet startups.{{cite web|title=Kees Koolen|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=45977600&privcapId=33254|website=Bloomberg|access-date=21 January 2018}} Koolen was one of the founders of Booking.com, a price comparison website for hotels. He sold the company in 2005 to Booking Holdings for 110 million Euros. Koolen remained Booking.com's CEO until 2011.{{cite web|title=Oprichter: Verkoop van Booking.com aan Amerikanen is slecht geweest voor Nederland|url=https://www.businessinsider.nl/het-verkopen-van-booking-com-aan-de-amerikanen-slecht-voor-nederland-geweest-stelt-de-oprichter/|website=Business Insider Nederland|access-date=21 January 2018}} In 2013 his wealth was estimated at 115 million euro, making him 232nd wealthiest person in the Netherlands.{{cite web|title=Kees Koolen|url=http://www.quotenet.nl/Miljonairs/Kees-Koolen|website=Quote|access-date=21 January 2018}}
When Uber placed its headquarters in Amsterdam, Koolen was named by Travis Kalanick as COO. Simultaneously, Koolen founded Agri Brasil, a conglomerate of large dairy farms.
In 2019 Koolen was profiled as a 'day dreamer.' by PVV States member Erik Veltmeijer in newspaper Dagblad De Gelderlander. Veltmeijer speaks of 'a complete failure' and qualifies director Kees Koolen of Lithium Werks en passant as a day dreamer.{{cite web|title=Zware kritiek op Van Hijum na verstrekking van 7,5 miljoen euro aan batterijenfabrikant|url=https://www.gelderlander.nl/enschede/zware-kritiek-op-van-hijum-na-verstrekking-van-7-5-miljoen-euro-aan-batterijenfabrikant~ac5334be/?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F}}
Rally raid
Koolen competed in his first Dakar Rally at the 2009 Dakar Rally. Racing a Honda CRF series CRF450 he finished 69th in the motorbike classification.{{cite web|title=Kees Koolen|url=http://www.dakar.com:80/2009/DAK/RIDERS/us/equipage/125.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100108041840/http://www.dakar.com/2009/DAK/RIDERS/us/equipage/125.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 January 2010|website=Dakar|access-date=21 January 2018}}
For the 2010 Dakar Rally, Koolen and his team raced a McRae Enduro buggy. Koolen had a troubled third stage. He passed all check points but stranded on his way to the bivak and had to retire.{{cite web|title=Etappe 3: Revanche Verhoeven, ellende voor buggy's|url=http://www.omroepbrabant.nl/?news/1297261063/Etappe+3+Revanche+Verhoeven,+ellende+voor+buggys.aspx|website=Omroep Brabant|access-date=21 January 2018}} For the 2011 Dakar Rally Koolen developed his own buggy to compete, the GoKoBra. The team entered two GoKoBra's, one for Koolen and one for teammate Jurgen van den Goorbergh.{{cite web|title=Een nieuw avontuur kan beginnen|url=http://www.omroepbrabant.nl/?news/148209952/Een+nieuw+avontuur+kan+beginnen.aspx|website=Omroep Brabant|access-date=21 January 2018}} Koolen was disqualified after the sixth stage. Koolen finished the sixth stage outside the time limit but was given dispensation by the organisation. The organisation later the decided to disqualify Koolen because he missed the first check point.{{cite web|title=Omstreden besluit: ook Koolen uit Dakar Rally|url=http://www.omroepbrabant.nl/?news/148580932/Omstreden+besluit+ook+Koolen+uit+Dakar+Rally.aspx|website=Omroep Brabant|access-date=21 January 2018}} The team finished the 2012 Dakar Rally in 59th place.
Koolen entered his first Dakar Rally with a quad at the 2013 Dakar Rally. He again finished the Dakar Rally, in 17th place. In 2014 Koolen became the first participant to finish the Dakar Rally in all four classes.{{cite web|title=KEES KOOLEN SCHRIJFT DAKAR-GESCHIEDENIS|url=http://www.eurol.com/nl/10-nieuws/518-nieuws/3848-kees-koolen-schrijft-dakar-geschiedenis.html|website=Eurol|access-date=21 January 2018}} In 2014 Koolen joined Van den Goorbergh and Gijs van Uden in a Ginaf truck entered by Maxxis Dakar Team Powered by Super B.{{cite web|title=No. 541 - Maxxis Dakar Team Powered by Super B|url=http://www.dakar.com:80/dakar/2014/fr/pilote/541.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131229022155/http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2014/fr/pilote/541.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 December 2013|website=Dakar|access-date=21 January 2018}} The team finished in 37th place.
For 2015, Koolen developed his own quad off-road racer. During the Dakar Rally Koolen was arrested by Chilean authorities. During the fifth stage Koolen deviated from the determined route and drove through a protected area. Koolen was released after questioning. Koolen was not the only participant racing through a protected area in the Atacama Desert, Matteo Cassucio was also arrested.{{cite web|title=Dakar-deelnemer Kees Koolen gearresteerd na omweg door archeologisch gebied|url=http://www.omroepbrabant.nl/?news/2227941093/Dakar-deelnemer+Kees+Koolen+gearresteerd+na+omweg+door+archeologisch+gebied.aspx|website=Omroep Brabant|access-date=21 January 2018}} The following stage Koolen retired from the rally.{{cite web|title=Hans Vogels op een keurige 20e plek en de uitslagen van de andere Brabanders in etappe 6|url=http://www.omroepbrabant.nl/?news/221782892/Hans+Vogels+op+een+keurige+20e+plek+en+de+uitslagen+van+de+andere+Brabanders+in+etappe+6.aspx|website=Omroep Brabant|access-date=21 January 2018}} For 2016 Koolen returned in his Honda quad with top ten stage results.{{cite web|title=Dakar 2016: Argentijnse broederstrijd bij de quads, Kees Koolen weer in top 10|url=http://www.racexpress.nl/dakar/dakar-2016-argentijnse-broederstrijd-bij-de-quads-kees-koolen-weer-in-top-10/n/71106|website=Racexpress.nl|access-date=21 January 2018}} He did not finish the Dakar Rally after stage nine. After his retirement an incident with a helicopter caused his quad (without rider) to drop fifty meters to the ground.{{cite web|title=Helikopter laat quad van Kees Koolen per ongeluk vallen van vijftig meter hoogte [VIDEO]|url=http://www.omroepbrabant.nl/?news/242801542/Helikopter+laat+quad+van+Kees+Koolen+per+ongeluk+vallen+van+vijftig+meter+hoogte+[VIDEO].aspx|website=Omroep Brabant|access-date=21 January 2018}}
In 2017 Koolen and his team developed the Barren Racing quad racer. With his self developed quad he scored his first stage win. He won the 219 km stage between Tupiza and Oruro. The stage was shortened because of bad weather.{{cite web|title=Kees Koolen pakt etappezege in Dakar: 'Awesome!'|url=http://www.omroepbrabant.nl/?news/259830862/Kees+Koolen+pakt+etappezege+in+Dakar+Awesome!.aspx|website=Omroep Brabant|access-date=21 January 2018}} Koolen finished the Dakar Rally in seventeenth place in class.{{cite web|title=Kees Koolen|url=https://www.dakar.com/en/competitor/254|website=Dakar|access-date=21 January 2018}}