Aion Bank appoints Kim Van Esbroeck as Country Head
Appointing Kim Van Esbroeck as its new Country Head, Aion shows its readiness to scale up commercial activities in Belgium as the country opens post lockdown. The bank is moving forward leveraging the new reality which has reinforced consumer trends towards digitalisation and online presence, attention to data security and an increased need for stability.
Aion, a full-service digital bank, is announcing the appointment of Kim Van Esbroeck as its Country Head. Van Esbroeck has nearly 20 years of experience in financial services, having worked with Clear2Pay and most recently as the CEO and Chief Commercial Officer of Bancontact Payconiq Company. Kim has a deep understanding of the changing needs of both retail customers and small and medium-sized businesses, and how digital solutions can be used to better serve client needs.
Wojciech Sobieraj, Aion Bank’s CEO, stated, “We are excited to bring Kim on board. Her vast knowledge in the financial sector and extensive network will be incredibly valuable for us moving forward as we scale.” Van Esbroeck confirms her readiness and motivation to accompany the bank on its journey: “Aion has a very interesting value proposition helping customers to make their money work harder for them and their lives easier. I joined to develop the business activities and establish partnerships, growing Aion on the Belgian market. It is a great challenge for me, and one I very much believe in.”
At the end of May 2020, the bank launched a survey measuring the impact of COVID-19 on consumer expectations towards banking, which revealed a need for more digital functionalities (30%), stability through new savings options (85%) and an interest in generating profit quickly through investments (54%). Ethical business remains key: 51% expect transparent cost and revenues, while 39% of people are against their bank trading their data*.
“COVID-19 has clearly accelerated existing trends towards digitalisation,” explains Van Esbroeck. As a digital-first bank, all bank-related activities from opening an account to investing or getting a loan can be done through our user-friendly banking app with no branch visits required. Premium members have access to Aion’s signature product, MoneyMax™, which helps its users save money while lowering costs and reduce for example their mobile, energy and shopping expenses.
For small- and medium-sized businesses, Aion has tailored its app to their specific needs: “Our digital services for businesses are helping their owners save time and money, because they instantly maintain control of their finances. We are proud to be the first Belgian bank to offer fully digital app-based banking for these companies, including integrated accounting solutions” says Van Esbroeck. She adds: “This is especially important now, in times of COVID-19, as the hours usually spent on administration can instead be used for business recovery and development.”
*The survey was performed between the 24th and 27th of May 2020 using an online questionnaire, distributed via Prolific.com. 276 persons participated in the study.