How Will Nokia’s Chief People Officer Lead the AI Evolution?

Nokia has appointed Kristen Pressner as the next Chief People Officer (CPO) and member of the Group Leadership Team of the telecommunications company.

With over 30 years of international experience in HR, talent management and organisational transformation, Kristen is tasked with increasing performance and cultural evolution towards AI.

She will be based in Finland and report to Nokia’s CEO Justin Hotard, effective 1 May 2026.

In a statement discussing the new appointment on 10 November, Justin says: “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.

“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 that the AI supercycle is creating for advanced and trusted connectivity.”

Who is Kristen Pressner?

After spending 20 years at Roche Holding Group - where her most recent position was Global Head of People and Culture for Roche Diagnostics starting in 2016 - Kristen will take on her role at Nokia, at what she describes as “as incredibly exciting time” to join the Finnish company.

According to Nokia, across her tenure at Roche Holding, she played a key role in strengthening leadership, evolving the company’s operating model and shaping a culture that enables innovation and drives business impact.

During the 20 years she spent at the company, Kristen held various roles, including Senior Director of Global Learning and Development and Group Human Resources from 2001 to 2012, and Vice President and Head of HR in EMEA between 2012 and 2016.

In a post on LinkedIn on 10 November, Kristen shares that she is “deeply grateful” to her colleagues at Roche, adding: “The last 20 years have shaped me in meaningful ways, both personally and professionally.

“It has been a place of growth, collaboration, support and purpose, and I will carry that with me in gratitude.”

Prior to her role at Roche holding, Kristen worked for Texas Instruments, where she held various HR leadership roles focused on driving culture and capability transformation.

These included Strategic Staffing Manager for Student Programme and University Relations between 1999 and 2001, and Human Resources Manager from 2001 to 2005.

Discussing her next role, the appointed CPO says: “The company is transforming for the era of AI, cloud and next-generation networks, 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.

“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 a part of that journey.”

AI advancements at Nokia 

Focus on AI is continuing across the company. Nokia also announced on 10 November a four-year contract extension with TNN in Denmark to continue as the sole supplier of 5G radio access networks and managed services.

TNN is the largest shared mobile network in Denmark, a joint venture between the telecommunications companies Norlys and Telenor.

Under this agreement, Nokia says this will evolve TNN’s 5G network with AI and autonomous capabilities to deliver enhanced service quality, higher speeds and capacity.

Mark Atkinson, Head of Radio Access Network at Nokia, says in a statement: “This enhanced deal with TNN reflected our strong partnership and Nokia’s position as a trusted technology provider delivering industry-leading 5G solutions and advanced AI and automation capabilities for enhanced operational efficiency and network quality.”

This extension and the appointment of Kristen as CPO, shows Nokia’s commitment to using AI to keep people at the centre of its focus.