PostNL announces a strategic change at the top. After more than twelve years as CEO, Herna Verhagen will resign her position at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on 15 April 2025.
She is handing over the baton to Pim Berendsen, who currently serves as CFO. With this step, PostNL is focusing on continuity and strengthening its current course, aimed at further growth in e-commerce and the postal sector, and increasing customer satisfaction. The Supervisory Board (RvC) emphasises that the choice for Berendsen was made carefully and with due consideration.
Jan Nooitgedagt, chairman of the Supervisory Board, indicates that the long-term collaboration between Verhagen and Berendsen and the successes they have achieved together played an important role in the appointment. “When Herna announced her intention to step down as CEO, our succession plan came into effect. Herna is an exceptionally good leader in a challenging sector in transition. She has transformed PostNL into a leading player in the field of e-commerce logistics,” says Nooitgedagt.
transformation
Under Verhagen's leadership, PostNL has undergone an impressive transformation. Since joining in 2012, Verhagen has led the company through a complex process in which the focus shifted to the growing e-commerce market, without losing sight of the traditional postal services. "Under her leadership, PostNL has developed into a committed and responsible employer for tens of thousands of employees," Nooitgedagt continues. "Over the past six years, Herna and Pim have jointly shaped the course of the company, with a focus on digitalization, network expansion and international growth. Pim's broad knowledge of the international market and his experience with various stakeholders make him the right person to continue this strategy."
Herna Verhagen herself emphasizes that the decision to step down was taken with due consideration. “Since 2012, I have been CEO of PostNL, a fantastic company at the heart of society, where we work with tens of thousands of colleagues for millions of customers every day. That was and is an honor,” says Verhagen. “I have taken my decision to step down with due consideration and with every confidence in a good successor. I am proud that the Supervisory Board has chosen Pim as my successor – from within PostNL – and has thus opted for continuity of the chosen strategy.”
appreciation
Pim Berendsen, who succeeds Verhagen, speaks with great respect about her leadership. “Herna and I work together with our team every day on the opportunities and challenges that always exist for this wonderful company. I look with incredible appreciation and respect at how Herna fulfills the role of CEO. Together we have achieved special results and I have learned a great deal from her along the way,” says Berendsen. He is looking forward to his new role and emphasizes that he will continue PostNL's strategic course. “The combination of the business and the human, her sharpness, perseverance and adaptability make Herna a unique personality. I will take that experience with me to my new role as CEO of PostNL.”
PostNL’s third-quarter results show a mixed picture of ongoing challenges in the postal sector alongside positive developments in the parcels division. While PostNL sees progress in the efficiency and capacity of its parcel services, it is still waiting for a structural adjustment of the regulations to keep the postal services financially viable. With further cost-saving measures, volume growth in parcels and a possible reform of the postal services, PostNL is confidently looking towards a better result in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Red numbers
PostNL has meanwhile published its results for the third quarter of 2024. Despite disappointing figures in the postal sector, the growth in parcel volumes shows a bright spot in the company's future prospects. Normalized EBIT for the third quarter of 2024 remained negative, with a loss of €19 million for Mail in the Netherlands. According to CEO Herna Verhagen, these figures underline the urgent need for reforms within the postal sector and adjustment of regulations to ensure a financially healthy postal service.
In her statement, Verhagen emphasized that PostNL is facing structural challenges within the traditional postal market. “The loss of €19 million for the first nine months of 2024, which is €15 million lower than last year, reflects the urgent need to review the current business model for Mail in the Netherlands,” Verhagen said. She pointed to the continued decline in mail volumes, the shift to less time-sensitive mail deliveries and rising costs as key factors negatively impacting the operating result.
