PostNL chief executive Herna Verhagen is standing down next April, 13 years after taking over the top job at the former state-owned company.

“It has been an honour,” Verhagen said in a statement. “I am thankful for the many opportunities and the confidence which I have been given.” The decision to step down was a personal one, PostNL said.

She will be succeeded by chief financial officer Pim Berendsen to ensure “stability and continuity”, the company said.

Verhagen’s departure was made public on the same day after PostNL published its Q3 figures, in which the company expressed its disappointment at the government’s decision not to allow it to reduce deliveries to private households.

The company is now “considering further impactful measures, such as emptying mailboxes during the daytime instead of in the evening as well as potential further price increases for sending mail,” Verhagen said.

“Action is inevitable to safeguard a future-proof and financially viable postal service… while also providing job security to tens of thousands of people.”

PostNL is required by law to deliver post five days a week and within one day of posting, and had said this is no longer realistic given declining mail volumes.

The current rules date from 2009 and since then the volume of post has fallen 70%. The average household now receives four items of post a week, but 20 years ago it was three per day, the company said.