‘Nokia is transforming for the era of AI - at the center are it's people’ Kristen Pressner says after being appointed Nokia's new CPO

Kristen Pressner has been appointed as Chief People Officer and member of the Group Leadership Team at telecommunications giant, Nokia.

Pressner, who has over 30 years of international experience in HR, talent management, and organizational transformation, will start her new position on Friday 1 May 2026.

Upon taking the role, Pressner will be based in Finland, reporting to Justin Hotard, Nokia’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

Creating an 'AI-empowered, united team'

After spending 20 years at Roche Holding Group – where her most recent position was Global Head of People & Culture for Roche Diagnostics – Pressner will take on her role at Nokia, at what she describes as "an incredibly exciting time" to join the company."

The company is transforming for the era of AI, cloud, and next-generation networks and at the center of that transformation are its people,” Pressner said in a statement.The company is transforming for the era of AI, cloud, and next-generation networks and at the center of that transformation are its people,” Pressner said in a statement.

“Nokia’s success depends on the creativity, courage, and collaboration of its teams around the world, and I’m inspired by the opportunity to play a key role in unleashing that potential.

“As a global technology leader with a remarkable heritage and a bold future, Nokia is poised to shape the next chapter of connectivity and I can’t wait to be part of that journey,” Pressner commented.

By joining Nokia, Pressner will bring a wealth of experience to Nokia given her instrumental role at Nokia, strengthening leadership, evolving the company’s operating model, and shaping a culture to enable innovation.

Prior to her role at Roche Holding, Pressner held various leadership roles at Texas Instruments, which included a focus on driving culture and capability transformation in the dynamic global technology environment.

What’s more, Nokia’s President and CEO, Justin Hotard shared that he is “thrilled” to welcome Pressner to the team, and that her contribution will allow Nokia to build a “culture of empowerment, accountability, and a customer-first mindset.”

This will help to increase the business’s focus on its goals, while improving performance across the business.

He concluded: “Kristen brings a wealth of experience in driving transformation through business. She will lead our cultural evolution toward an AI-empowered, united team, focused on delivering for our customers and seizing the opportunities the AI supercycle is creating for advanced and trusted connectivity.”

Stay tuned for more updates.