The shareholders of the €110bn asset manager and pensions provider MN have appointed René van de Kieft as its new executive chairman.

Van de Kieft is to succeed of Ruud Hagendijk, who steps down after ten years at the helm of the largest pensions provider in the market sector.

Van de Kieft, who will assume his new role 1 May, has ample experience in the pensions and financial sectors, and is currently board member of the €344bn civil service scheme ABP and the €40bn metal scheme PME as well as chairman of the €8bn postal scheme PostNL.

The new MN chair is currently also interim chief financial officer of the new, nationwide Chamber of Commerce – recently created after the merger of a number of regional chambers. 

Previously, he was CFO and COO of the €188bn asset manager PGGM and CFO at the parking company Q-Park.

“MN is ready to lift quality, customer focus and cost-consciousness to the next level, and I am proud that I can contribute to this process,” Van de Kieft said.

Hagendijk, who announced his departure three months ago, said that MN is facing modernisation and further improvement of its organisation and service provision.

“René has shown that he is up to such a task, and brings a lot of experience, a large network and a strong vision,” added the out-going chairman.

Van de Kieft’s appointment is still subject to approval of communications watchdog AFM.

MN is the asset manager and pensions provider for the large metal schemes PME and PMT, which have more than 2m participants in total, affiliated with more than 36,000 employers. The company has also an office in London.

Hagendijk oversaw the privatisation of MN from its initial owner PMT, the €40bn PMT joining the organisation as well as MN further specialising in fiduciary management, board support and responsible investment.

“Under Hagendijk, MN has developed into a leading player in the financial sector,” commented Ella Vogelaar, MN’s new supervisory chair.