and don ’ t let regional borders restrict creativity . Guillaumond clarifies that ING takes an ‘ agnostic ’ stance on innovation for its Amsterdam lab . However , in terms of its “ vibrant ecosystem ” globally , the strengths of a particular country or market are not ignored : in Brussels , ING focuses on testing validation ; in Singapore , trading value logistics ; and in London , regtech ( regulation technology ) and financial market lending .

Underpinning this innovation is a foundational aspect of digital transformation : data . “ Data has always been extremely important ,” says Guillaumond . “ As digitisation progresses , more and more data is available and the power of what you can do with it becomes exponential .” Therefore , he continues , a robust , datacentric strategy is crucial : hiring data scientists to help unlock and leverage insights can be invaluable in several vital areas . ING ’ s in-house-developed Data Analytics Platform ( DAP ) was created not just to help it navigate the complex financial landscape , but also to test new propositions and boost overall compliance . “ We have strong ambitions to really grow very fast ,” Guillaumond adds . “ It ' s important to make sure we

EXECUTIVE PROFILE :

Title : Global Head of Innovation

Labs and Fintechs Company : ING Industry : Banking Location : Netherlands

A trained PhD in astrophysics , Guillaumond later switched to an MBA in order to combine his dual interest in business and technology . “ I started off my career in strategy consulting at Accenture for about 10 years . I left to create my own company , Smile BeNeLux , in 2010 .” While still at Accenture , ING became one of his favourite clients . Subsequently , when he began to seek his next challenge , he recognised it as a standout option in terms of entrepreneurship and innovation . Guillaumond joined in 2013 and steadily progressed , eventually attaining his current role in 2019 .”

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