Board Structure, Composition and responsibilities

Board of Management

The Board of Management and its duties

The Board of Management manages PostNL. It is collectively responsible for setting and implementing – and the continuous evaluation and, where necessary, adjustment of – our mission, vision, strategy, objectives and culture, the risk profile laid down in our strategy, the company’s financing, the non-financial policy, external communication and compliance with all relevant legislation. It is also responsible for the continuity and management of the company as a whole and for all decisions taken in this respect.

The Board of Management acts in accordance with the interests of the company and looks after the long-term value creation of the company as a whole. To that end, it considers all relevant interests associated with the company and is committed to managing the company transparently.

The Board of Management performs its activities under the supervision of the Supervisory Board. It informs the Supervisory Board of significant developments and discusses, inter alia, risk management, internal control, integrity and compliance systems with the Supervisory Board and its Audit Committee.

PostNL’s Supervisory Board evaluates the functioning of the Board of Management and that of its individual members annually. It discusses the conclusions following such evaluation, also in light of the succession of the members of the Board of Management. Furthermore, the Board of Management itself evaluates its own functioning and that of its individual members.

Specific staff departments – Audit & Security, Legal, Tax, Procurement & Services, Human Resources, Investor Relations, Treasury, Public Affairs, Corporate Strategy, Communication and Finance – support the Board of Management and the business segments in the performance of their duties and ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

The Board of Management incorporated the following bodies to ensure compliance with applicable corporate governance requirements: a Disclosure Committee and an Integrity Committee.

The Disclosure Committee advises and assists the Board of Management in ensuring compliance with regulations relating to the publication of price-sensitive information. The Disclosure Committee is composed of the CFO, director Legal, director Communication, Investor Relations, and the corporate secretary. The Disclosure Committee reports directly to the Board of Management. The terms of reference of the Disclosure Committee can be found on our website.

The Integrity Committee advises and assists the Board of Management in developing, implementing and monitoring Group policies aimed at enhancing integrity and ethical behaviour and at preventing irregularities, misconduct and fraud. The Integrity Committee oversees investigations based on reports of possible breaches under our Business Principles and related policies. More information on integrity and the Integrity Committee can be found in the 'Risk and opportunity management' chapter.

Members of the Board of Management are appointed and can be suspended or dismissed by the Supervisory Board. A decision by the Supervisory Board to dismiss a member of the Board of Management can only be taken after the General Meeting of Shareholders has been consulted on the intended dismissal.

Further details on the appointment and dismissal of members of the Board of Management can be found in our articles of association, which are available on our website. The by-laws of the Board of Management can be found on our website.

Composition and biographies Board of Management

At year-end 2023, the Board of Management consisted of two members: the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) Herna Verhagen and the chief financial officer (CFO) Pim Berendsen.

Herna Verhagen (1966, Dutch, female) – Chief Executive Officer

Herna Verhagen became chief executive officer on 24 April 2012. She was appointed member of the Board of Management per 31 May 2011, reappointed per 14 April 2015 and 16 April 2019 for a period of four years, and reappointed per 18 April 2023 for another four years. She started working for one of the legal predecessors of PostNL in 1991 as sales manager. Subsequent roles included marketing & sales director, coordinating managing director Mail NL in the Mail division and managing director Group HR of TNT.

Herna Verhagen is responsible for Mail in the Netherlands, E-Commerce Commerce, E-Commerce Operations, Logistics Solutions, CBS and Digital. Furthermore, her portfolio includes corporate strategy, public affairs, communication, corporate responsibility, human resources, IT and internal audit. She is a member of the Supervisory Board of ING Group and Philips. And she is a member of the Supervisory Board of the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam concert hall).

Herna Verhagen holds two positions as referred to in article 2:132a of the Dutch Civil Code. This article is described as "number of supervisory positions" in Appendix 'Glossary and definitions'.

Pim Berendsen (1973, Dutch, male) – Chief Financial Officer

Pim Berendsen was appointed chief financial officer and member of the Board of Management per 18 April 2018, and reappointed for a period of four years per 19 April 2022. Pim Berendsen joined PostNL and its legal predecessors in 2000 and held various positions, including financial director and managing director Data and Document Management Unit, financial director Euromail and manager strategy and M&A of Cendris. Between 2013 and 2015 he was director corporate development of Van Gansewinkel Group, returning to PostNL in 2015 to become member of the Executive Committee, responsible for International, M&A and Growth . He started his career as international tax advisor at Arthur Andersen.

Pim Berendsen is responsible for finance, legal, procurement & services, investor relations, M&A, tax and the integrator proposition. He is chairman of the board of advice of Endeit Investment Fund, chairman of the Johan Cruijff Foundation, non-executive member of the board of Whistl and a member of the executive committee and general board of the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers (VNO-NCW).

Pim Berendsen holds no positions as referred to in article 2:132a of the Dutch Civil Code. This article is described as "number of supervisory positions" in Appendix 'Glossary and definitions'.

The Executive Committee, composition and duties

PostNL has an Executive Committee which has been installed to advise and support the Board of Management in its duties and responsibilities. The Executive Committee assists the Board of Management in achieving the company’s business objectives and implementing the strategic goals, and provides support and expertise in pursuit of the company’s strategic goals. The Executive Committee is also responsible for managing PostNL’s senior leadership talent and to manage talent consistently at all business segments of PostNL.

In the performance of its responsibilities, the Executive Committee shall act in accordance with the interests of PostNL and the business connected with it, taking into consideration the interests of PostNL’s stakeholders. The members of the Executive Committee have regular contact with the Supervisory Board, both formally (in meetings of the Supervisory Board) and informally (at the initiative of a member of the Executive Committee or of a member of the Supervisory Board). The CEO acts as the first contact between the Executive Committee and the Supervisory Board and its Chairman.

At year-end 2023, the Executive Committee composed of the following nine members:

  • Herna Verhagen (CEO and chairman)
  • Pim Berendsen (CFO)
  • Iris van Wees, responsible for E-commerce Operations
  • Stephan van den Eijnden, responsible for E-commerce Commerce
  • Tijs Reumerman, responsible for Cross Border Solutions
  • Bob van Ierland, responsible for Mail Netherlands
  • Jeroen Veldstra, responsible for HR
  • Jennifer Crites, Chief Information Officer, responsible for IT
  • Bart Delmulle, Chief Digital Officer

As per 1 January 2024 Bob van Ierland stepped down as member of the Executive Committee, and was replaced by Maurice Unck as responsible for Mail in the Netherlands.

Each Executive Committee member bears responsibility for the operations and management in their business unit or staff function, in line with PostNL’s policies, values and principles and compliance standards. The Board of Management reviews and assesses the performance of the Executive Committee, as well as the effectiveness of the governance structure of the Executive Committee, at least once a year. In doing so, the Board of Management shall take account of the checks and balances that are part of PostNL’s two-tier system, such as whether the Supervisory Board is informed adequately.

With the exception of the members of the Board of Management, Executive Committee members are appointed, suspended and dismissed by the Board of Management.

The by-laws of the Executive Committee can be found on our website.

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