Chris Figee has served as Chief Financial Officer and member of KPN's Board of Management since 1 February 2020. Over the last years, KPN delivered strong financial performance and invested significantly in high-quality digital infrastructure through fiber and 5G, and digital innovation. In this period, KPN has made significant progress in executing its strategy, including the transformation of the organization and continued improvements in customer experience.

Gerard van de Aast, Chair of KPN's Supervisory Board: "As a member of the Board of Management, Chris has made an important contribution to KPN's strategic objectives over the past years. This includes KPN's strong financial performance, key strategic initiatives such as Glaspoort, and Althio and the growth of our Wholesale segment. On behalf of the Supervisory Board, I would like to thank Chris for his dedication and commitment to KPN. We congratulate him on this next step in his career and will ensure a thorough succession process."

Chris Figee: "It has been a privilege to serve as CFO of KPN and to work with so many talented and committed colleagues. KPN is a strong company with a clear strategy, solid financial foundations, and plays a pivotal role in Dutch society. I am proud of what we have achieved together and will remain fully committed over the coming months to ensure a smooth and orderly transition."

The Supervisory Board will initiate a process to appoint a successor in due course. KPN will update the market when there is further news to be announced.

European organisations increasingly seek greater control over their data and digital infrastructure, particularly in sectors where privacy, security and resilience are critical. The solution is particularly well suited for vital organisations and sectors such as government bodies, financial services, energy and healthcare. KPN is making substantial investments in this collaboration to make this sovereign European cloud accessible in the Netherlands. This fits within the investment plans shared during the Strategy Update in November last year, with the goal to support long-term growth in the business market.

European governance and open infrastructure
STACKIT provides the cloud infrastructure based on open-source software. The service operates under European jurisdiction, with data processed and stored within Europe. The model supports portability and interoperability, allowing organisations to reduce dependency on individual providers and avoid vendor lock-in. STACKIT is audited against the BSI C5 criteria catalogue, a recognized benchmark at the highest security level for cloud security and transparency.

Joost Farwerck, CEO of KPN: “In the Netherlands and Europe, there is a clear need for sovereign cloud solutions. Dutch companies and public organisations are increasingly looking for greater control over their data and a secure European cloud at scale. KPN is an important Dutch cloud supplier, which is part of our ‘Connect, Activate & Grow’ strategy, especially in the Business Market. Developing European sovereign cloud solutions requires action and the ability to bring together expertise and resources. That’s why I'm happy to announce our partnership today. Together we are taking an important step forward by combining the demands of our customers, our KPN expertise and the knowledge and scale of STACKIT.”

Bernd Wagner, CSO of Schwarz Digits: “With the strategic partnership between KPN and Schwarz Digits, we are turning the vision of digital sovereignty in Europe into a technological reality. Through our joint go-to-market strategy, we bundle the first-class connectivity and market position of KPN with the sovereign cloud stack of STACKIT to a European powerhouse. A crucial milestone is the deep integration of our services directly into KPN's Dutch data centers. Customers can purchase the entire solution directly from KPN as their trusted partner. German companies benefit massively from the new option of seamlessly using the cloud region of the Netherlands in their existing STACKIT setup. By establishing STACKIT as a European hyperscaler, we offer an independent alternative and form the backbone for a sovereign IT infrastructure that sets a new standard.”

KPN’s strategic cloud offering
The collaboration with Schwarz Digits aligns with KPN’s broader strategic cloud offering, which includes public, hybrid and private cloud solutions. Different data, applications and risk levels require different approaches. With STACKIT, KPN adds a European sovereign public cloud to its portfolio, under European ownership, governance and law.

Recently, KPN co-signed the Open Cloud Alliance manifesto, which aims to make digital sovereignty more practical through clear agreements on data location, transparency on access and control, and the development of Dutch and European alternatives.

The solution ‘KPN Sovereign Cloud, powered by STACKIT’ is already available via the German and Austrian STACKIT cloud regions. The Netherlands-based version is expected to become available mid-2027. The solution is offered exclusively through KPN and its partners.

Visit for more information: www.kpn.com/eu-cloud

Mark, can you briefly explain what you do at KPN? 
“At KPN, I work as a customer service employee, with the main task of solving logistical challenges. This varies from locating lost packages to ensuring that equipment such as modems and TV receivers arrive on time at the customer. My colleague and I ensure behind the scenes that everything runs smoothly, especially when unexpected situations arise.” 

And what does your work as a reservist in Defense look like? 
“For 32 years, I have been serving as a reservist in the 10th Infantry Battalion Guarding Securing Corps National Reserve. As a non-commissioned officer, I play a central role in logistics: together with my team, I ensure that soldiers and units are provided with everything they need. My tasks are very diverse: directing personnel, managing inventory, arranging transport, and planning everything so that the unit is optimally deployable.” 

What does the new reservist arrangement mean for you personally? 
"Thanks to these agreements, I can better combine my work at KPN and my commitment to Defense, without it affecting my private life. This flexibility brings peace of mind, allowing me to fully focus on both roles. I am proud to contribute to a safe Netherlands in this way.” 

What benefits does the arrangement offer for reservists within KPN? 
“Previously, colleagues sometimes had to say ‘no’ to Defense because they could no longer take hours off. That is a shame; you want to be able to contribute when needed. Thanks to this arrangement, reservists can much better coordinate their work at KPN and their commitment to Defense. This not only increases deployability but also makes it more attractive to be a reservist.” 

Do you think this arrangement helps make working as a reservist more attractive? 
“Absolutely. The arrangement creates a better balance between work and private life. It makes a big difference whether you can go on vacation for two or three weeks. This arrangement makes it easier, among other things, to coordinate a longer deployment with your supervisor. I hope this encourages more colleagues to commit as reservists. Ultimately, that is not only good for Defense but also for KPN as an employer. It shows that KPN takes social responsibility seriously.” 

What does KPN have to do with Defense? 
“The collaboration between KPN and Defense goes back many years, over 100 years! Not only has Defense been a valued customer of KPN for years, but both organizations also fulfill an important social role in the field of security. This creates a special bond and makes it even more valuable that KPN pays attention to employees who, alongside their regular work, contribute to our national security.” 

View here the new collective labor agreement and read more here. 

Very high call quality score

This year, the high score for "voice," which focuses on call quality, is particularly striking. With 269 out of 270 points, KPN achieved the maximum score in this category, just one point short of the maximum. This demonstrates that both coverage and call quality on the KPN network are very high. Furthermore, stability is high, allowing users to make almost consistently high-quality calls. KPN thus achieved a score of 99% in the reliability category.

Recognition of quality    

KPN CEO Joost Farwerck: “This fifth consecutive victory confirms that our strategy of continued investment in high-quality infrastructure and digitalization is paying off. It demonstrates that the best mobile network isn't just determined by the number of sites or the available frequency spectrum, but above all by the team that works every day to ensure maximum reliability, stability, and quality for our customers. The fact that other Dutch operators also perform strongly in international benchmarks further emphasizes that the Netherlands as a whole is a global leader in high-quality digital infrastructure, an essential foundation for economic strength and future growth.”

Technological innovation as a foundation

KPN COO Wouter Stammeijer adds : " For years, KPN has been consistently investing in the quality of its mobile networks, and particularly in the 5G network, both in urban and rural areas. Thanks to these investments, we provide good mobile coverage throughout the Netherlands and reliable service for both voice and data – exactly what's needed to keep the Netherlands at the forefront of digital connectivity in the coming years."

Number 1 in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Eindhoven

In the tested cities with the highest network load, KPN achieved the highest scores in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague, plus a shared first place in Eindhoven. This demonstrates KPN's ability to deliver consistent quality in complex and densely populated areas, where finding new antenna sites is becoming increasingly challenging. This is partly due to its partnership with Althio, a joint venture between KPN and the ABP pension fund, which manages the telecom infrastructure for mobile networks.

Best mobile user experience

High-quality mobile internet is essential for daily life and a driving force behind the digitalization of the Netherlands. In recent years, mobile data traffic has roughly doubled every three years, the number of simultaneous users is increasing, and applications are becoming increasingly demanding. KPN works daily to provide an excellent mobile network and an optimal mobile user experience. This means seamless, high-quality video calling anywhere in the Netherlands, uninterrupted streaming and gaming, and always easy accessibility. This quality is essential now that more and more customers are opting for KPN's Unlimited services, which allow them to easily share data via the MyKPN app and browse the internet securely on the go. KPN also continues to invest in better service, including larger data bundles for fixed-mobile combinations, easily accessible customer service, and easy management via the MyKPN app. As evidence of this continued quality improvement, KPN recently launched updated mobile bundles with higher speeds and additional roaming countries. Winning this prestigious award again underscores the effectiveness of this approach.

Extensive and independent test methodology

Umlaut's annual benchmark, commissioned by Germany's Connect Magazine, is considered one of the leading benchmarks in the telecom sector. The test is conducted on more than 200 networks in over 120 countries. Driving and walking tests are conducted over several weeks in cities and towns, on highways and regional roads, supplemented with user measurements and analyses of popular services. Together, these measurements provide an accurate picture of the actual user experience on mobile networks in the Netherlands.

Read the full report here 

_{CEO Joost Farwerck and COO Wouter Stammeijer congratulate Erik Brands (EVP Network) for the fifth consecutive time.}

Chantal Vergouw, Chief Business Market and member of the Board of Management at KPN: “The research reveals a striking difference: IT and security professionals, who keep our systems running daily, consistently rate their organization's maturity lower than management. They see where the problems lie: governance, security monitoring, and crisis planning. Cyber resilience hinges on clearly defined ownership and decision-making. Without this, vulnerabilities remain untapped and incidents are resolved ad hoc. This confirms what we all feel: there's work to be done.”

Top 5 strategic priorities   

• Comply with stricter laws and regulations (43%)
• Ensuring safe AI use within the organization (37%)
• Making employees aware of risks and promoting safe behavior (27%)
• Securely set up and manage cloud environments (22%)
• Properly manage and control identities and access (21%)

Compliance with stricter European laws and regulations is the most frequently cited priority. The research also shows that organizations are already experimenting with AI, while governance around responsibilities, monitoring, and decision-making is not always in place. Threats such as phishing, ransomware, and social engineering are driving employee awareness. Furthermore, the emphasis on cloud security and access management underscores the need for organizations to maintain control over their digital environment.

Biggest risks according to professionals in practice
In addition to strategic priorities, professionals identify multiple risks in daily practice. Human behavior is often cited: click behavior, limited awareness, and optimism bias regularly lead to incidents, partly because training and follow-up are not always structured. The use of AI also brings new concerns, such as uncontrolled tool use, data risks, deception, and AI attacks. Furthermore, many organizations have limited visibility into suppliers and SaaS services, resulting in underexposed supply chain risks. Outdated systems, unauthorized tools, and a lack of ownership increase the attack surface, while unclear roles and insufficiently secured governance hinder structured risk management.

When strengthening digital resilience, detection and preparation play a key role. A third of organizations monitor digital threats insufficiently or only very fundamentally, often resulting in delayed incident detection. Furthermore, 30 percent rarely or never practice cyber incidents, while 67 percent indicate they feel prepared.

Recommendations for structural resilience
The research results show that further strengthening cyber resilience primarily lies in concretely organizing the foundation and daily operations. Organizations that make progress ensure control over access management, updates, and monitoring, and structurally involve suppliers and supply chain partners. Clearly defined ownership and management involvement also prove important: when risks are explicitly discussed and assessed at the board level, responsibilities can be more clearly assigned and followed up more quickly.

In addition, regularly practicing realistic incident scenarios makes all the difference, because plans only become valid when they've been tested in practice. Finally, the increasing use of AI requires clear guidelines and conscious use, so employees can work safely without introducing new vulnerabilities.

Structural cyber resilience requires an investment of time, effort, and budget. Thirty-eight percent of respondents indicated that their current security budget is insufficient, while two-thirds expect it to increase in the coming period. Over the next twelve months, organizations expect to invest primarily in security monitoring and detection (35 percent), identity & access management (26 percent), and developing a security roadmap and strategy (24 percent).

About the research
The Cyber Resilient Netherlands 2026 study was conducted by Security Innovation Stories on behalf of KPN. The publication of Cyber Resilient Netherlands 2026 coincides with NLSecure[ID], which takes place on Tuesday, January 20, 2026. This annual event brings together executives, IT, and security professionals to discuss digital resilience. The study combines 19 in-depth interviews with CISOs, CIOs, and security managers, and a quantitative survey of more than 250 IT and security professionals. The respondents work for medium-sized and large organizations, primarily in critical infrastructure sectors, including government, healthcare, industry, energy, transport & logistics, and financial services.

More flexibility regarding leave and caregiving tasks
Since this year, the modern vacation leave scheme applies, allowing colleagues to take leave as needed in consultation with their supervisor. KPN will make it easier starting in 2026 to combine work with caregiving tasks. Colleagues will receive their full salary during short-term caregiving leave, and pension accrual will continue during long-term unpaid caregiving leave. In addition to volunteer work for the KPN Mooiste Contact Fonds, extra charities have been added for which colleagues can receive leave, such as participating in NL Doet or donating blood or plasma. A new arrangement has also been introduced for colleagues who are, or wish to become, reservists with the armed forces, providing them with more extensive leave options. Additionally, KPN offers more possibilities for inclusive holiday leave. Whit Monday can now, just like Ascension Day, be exchanged for another meaningful day, for example Eid al-Fitr or Keti Koti.

Focus on personal development
KPN wants to use technology so that everyone in the Netherlands can move forward, which also means that our colleagues continue to develop in new technical and soft skills. Therefore, in 2026, we will offer targeted, new training and education to further stimulate personal development and learning. There will also be even more focus on individual growth by actively providing colleagues with personalized learning suggestions.