sbroeck
Kim Van Esbroeck is responsible for growing Aion ’ s business through commercial activities and business development , directly managing Aion Bank ’ s Belgian sales and partnerships teams , as well as its flagship branch in Brussels
Q . DESCRIBE YOUR JOURNEY INTO FINTECH . HOW DID YOU GET HERE ?
» My career started in the payments industry . I held several different positions from test engineer to head of card marketing at Integri and Clear2Pay , then , at Belgian payment leader Bancontact , I was Chief Operations Officer , then was promoted to Chief Commercial Officer before being named CEO in January 2017 .
In 2020 , I was looking for a new challenge , and Aion Bank was entering the Belgian market with an entirely new banking concept – fully end-to-end digital , powered by the latest in cloud technology . I was drawn to the company ’ s mission to offer a better way of banking to people , and its technology is at the forefront of the industry . Looking back , I really didn ’ t do any career planning , but I followed my gut , and , if a train passed that I found interesting , I jumped on it .
Q . WHO WAS YOUR CHILDHOOD HERO AND WHY ?
» I was a big Madonna fan when I was a teenager . Obviously , she ’ s an iconic performer , but I loved her attitude . She was defiant to carve her own path , no matter who challenged or disagreed with her . She created a new template for what a pop star could do and say . Looking back at her career , I understand now that , as a woman in the 80s , she needed to adopt an f * you attitude to the male-dominated industry in order to get her voice heard . She is a true power lady !
Q . WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ - AND HOW LONG AGO DID YOU READ IT ?
» Becoming by Michelle Obama . It ’ s actually not the last one I ’ ve read , but it made an impression on several levels – including how , at the end of the day , your personal and professional selves are one and the same . You bring your personal self to your job everyday ; it is a major building block of your professionalism , achievements and drive for results , often weighing more in the balance than all the qualifications you have accumulated .
Q . WHAT ' S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU ’ VE EVER RECEIVED ?
» The most amazing things lie outside of your comfort zone , so force yourself at any moment to step out . fintechmagazine . com 21