PFAB, the pension fund for architectural firms, is on track to transition to the new pension scheme on 1 January 2027. Preparations are progressing according to plan, and the transition workstreams present a positive picture. At the same time, important steps remain before the transition. PFAB board member Rosalinde Oudendijk and APG transition manager Johan Koster explain how clear choices and direct lines of communication help.
The new pension scheme is becoming increasingly tangible for PFAB’s more than 47,000 participants. APG has been given the green light to send out the preliminary transition statements. These will give participants an initial indication of their pension and pension accrual in 2027. PFAB had previously received approval from De Nederlandsche Bank to transition to the new pension scheme.
Preparations are monitored across nine transition workstreams, ranging from IT and communication to formal approval for the transfer of accrued pension rights to the new scheme. All nine are currently rated green. This inspires confidence, but Koster sees it primarily as a snapshot. “Green does not mean we can sit back. There is still a great deal happening behind the scenes. The period ahead will remain intensive.”
Openness when things do not go to plan
The fact that all workstreams are rated green does not mean everything runs smoothly along the way. It is precisely when something unexpected happens that the practical value of direct lines of communication becomes clear. “If you raise an issue in the morning, you can be sitting down with the right group of people that afternoon", says Koster.
In a complex transition, he explains, occasional unexpected developments are inevitable. “The main question is how quickly an issue reaches the right people.” For Oudendijk, this is an important aspect of the collaboration with APG. “APG is transparent about the schedule. If something goes wrong, we hear about that too. That is very important at this stage. Timelines are tight, so we need to act quickly.” This also means the board is not only kept informed about what is going well. When something looks likely to deviate from the plan, PFAB wants to know in good time. This allows both parties to make adjustments together before a problem escalates.
Tailoring only where necessary
Being able to act quickly is one side of the story. Minimising complexity from the outset is at least as important. PFAB has therefore carefully considered which aspects require a tailored solution and where it can use the standard approach. “As a board, we have opted for the standard pension scheme wherever possible,” Oudendijk explains. For APG, this means fewer exceptions that need to be configured and managed separately. This simplifies administration and helps maintain momentum.
The starting point is to consider where a tailored choice genuinely adds value for participants. PFAB, for example, values personal contact. The fund wants to continue offering participants the option of contacting it by telephone and email, and it organises participant meetings. Oudendijk believes this can justify some additional cost. PFAB scrutinises the cost per participant, but achieving the lowest possible price is not an end in itself. “Working more efficiently is important, but a stripped-back service does not fit the choices we make as a fund.” The same consideration applies to choices within the pension scheme. PFAB follows the standard approach wherever possible. For aspects the fund considers important, it works with APG to explore what is possible within that standard framework.
A marathon in sprints
The nine green workstreams are therefore not just the result of planning and technology. The same principle recurs in the conversations with Oudendijk and Koster: limit complexity where possible and act quickly together when necessary. Koster says this also requires commitment from all parties involved. He has been working on the transition since 2021 and describes the process as 'a marathon in sprints'. “When an obstacle emerges, the response is not to say that something is impossible. Instead, people look at how they can solve it together.”
That will remain necessary in the months ahead. Further preparations for the transition need to be made and completed in the run-up to 1 January 2027. PFAB’s current green status across all nine workstreams is therefore not the finishing line. Koster: “On paper, there are nine green boxes. Behind them lies, above all, a way of working together.”
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