Kristen Pressner to lead Nokia’s people strategy as chief people officer

Nokia has appointed Kristen Pressner as Chief People Officer and member of its Group Leadership Team, effective 1 May 2026, the company announced on its official website.

Pressner brings over 30 years of international experience in human resources, talent management, and organisational transformation. She joins Nokia from Roche Holding Group, where she most recently served as Global Head of People & Culture for Roche Diagnostics.

At Roche, Pressner led efforts to strengthen leadership capabilities, evolve the company’s operating model, and embed a culture designed to drive innovation and measurable business impact. Her earlier career at Texas Instruments saw her hold multiple HR leadership roles, focusing on capability development and cultural transformation across global technology operations.

Nokia’s President and Chief Executive Officer Justin Hotard said the appointment reflects the company’s focus on cultural renewal and high-performance leadership. “I am thrilled to welcome Kristen to Team Nokia as we work together to build a culture of empowerment, accountability, and a customer-first mindset to increase focus and improve performance across our business,” Hotard said.

He added that Pressner will play a central role in leading Nokia’s cultural evolution towards an AI-empowered and unified organisation, designed to capture the opportunities emerging from the global AI supercycle.

Pressner described her move as “an incredibly exciting time to join Nokia.” She said, “The company is transforming for the era of AI, cloud, and next-generation networks and at the centre of that transformation are its people. 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.”

An American and Swiss national, Pressner holds a Master of Business Administration in International Human Resources Management from the University of Dallas and a Bachelor’s degree in Communication from Purdue University. She will be based in Finland and report directly to Hotard.

Pressner’s appointment comes as Nokia continues to reposition itself as a technology and networks leader for the AI and cloud era, with a renewed emphasis on talent, culture, and performance to deliver sustained growth.