Lode Willems will be joining Fortis as the new Director External Affairs on 1 September 2006. His task will be to further strengthen Fortis's relations with its external stakeholders and, more particularly, to intensify the dialogue with the authorities in the various markets in which Fortis operates. As a former Belgian ambassador to the UN and WTO in Geneva, to the UK in London, and, most recently to Germany in Berlin, Lode Willems has plenty of experience to equip him for this role. He will be reporting directly to Herman Verwilst, Fortis's deputy CEO.
"Our international growth is leading us into different markets," explains Fortis CEO Jean-Paul Votron. "As one of the main financial services providers in Europe, we spend a great deal of our time talking to national, European and international, governments, regulators and other decision-makers - all of them vital links in our business development chain. We look forward to working with Lode, and wish him all the best in his new role."
Lode Willems (58) is a Belgian national, and is married with four children. He graduated in Political Science and International Relations at the University of Brussels in 1971 and obtained an MA in Political Science at Yale University in 1975. He is a CRB-fellow of the Belgian-American Educational Foundation. He entered the diplomatic service in 1976, holding a range of posts representing Belgium including at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as Deputy Secretary General of the Benelux Economic Union, Political Counsellor at the Embassy in Kinshasa, and Deputy Permanent Representative to the European Union. He has held a number of appointments as a ministerial adviser, having twice been the diplomatic adviser to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Affairs, and in 1992 as the Chief of Cabinet to the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs. He became the Belgian UN and WTO ambassador in Geneva in 1994. He was appointed ambassador to the UK in 1997, and in 2002 became the Belgian ambassador to Germany in Berlin, where he has worked until now.
Fortis is an international financial services provider engaged in banking and insurance. We offer our personal, business and institutional customers a comprehensive package of products and services through our own channels, in collaboration with intermediaries and through other distribution partners.
With a market capitalisation of EUR 37 billion (31/05/2006), Fortis ranks among the twenty largest financial institutions in Europe. Our sound solvency position, our presence in 50 countries and our dedicated, professional workforce of 57,000 enable us to combine global strength with local flexibility and provide our clients with optimum support. More information is available on www.fortis.com
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