ING has announced that Ljiljana Čortan will become the new head of Wholesale Banking, succeeding Andrew Bester no later than the annual general meeting in April 2026. Čortan, who is currently chief risk officer (CRO) and a member of both the Executive Board and Management Board Banking, will continue in her present roles until the transition takes place. At that time, she will step down from the Executive Board of ING Groep N.V.
Čortan joined ING in 2021 and brings over 25 years of international banking experience to her new position. Her previous roles include head of Corporate and Investment Banking Strategy for Central and Eastern Europe and global head of Financial Institutions, Banks and Sovereigns at UniCredit. Before joining ING, she served as a member of the Management Board and CRO at HypoVereinsbank, a subsidiary of UniCredit Germany.
Steven van Rijswijk, CEO of ING, said: “I am pleased that we have an excellent internal successor with a strong track record of execution and leadership; she is well suited to lead our Wholesale Banking business. Ljiljana knows the business and organisation very well and has a great understanding of the many opportunities we have to further strengthen, diversify and grow our business.”
He also expressed appreciation for Bester’s contributions: “I would like to thank Andrew for his contributions during the last five years and his leadership of Wholesale Banking. Under his leadership, the foundations of our Wholesale Bank have strengthened significantly. His focus on client value, scaling up our business and attention to an inclusive culture have been highly valued. Andrew has positioned our wholesale bank well for further growth over the coming years.”
Čortan commented on her upcoming role: “I look forward to taking up the leadership of our Wholesale Banking business. In my role as CRO and through the many contacts I have had with our colleagues and clients, I have seen the dedication and expertise we have, and I believe we have all the necessary elements to realise our full potential. I look forward to working with our teams to deliver on the next phase of our strategy to become the best European Wholesale bank. I would like to thank Andrew for our cooperation over the years, and I look forward to continuing that for the coming months.”
Bester joined ING in April 2021 after holding executive positions at Lloyds, Standard Chartered, Co-operative Bank, among others.
On his departure from ING he stated: “After a fulfilling and rewarding time at ING, it is time to step down from the Management Board and return to my UK home base to start the non-executive phase of my career. It has been a pleasure to help shape the bank to what it is today. I am grateful for the support, trust and collaboration shown by our clients. Thank you also to my fellow board members and all ING colleagues who have made my time so enjoyable. I look forward to continuing our good work in the coming months and in supporting an orderly handover to my board colleague Ljiljana.”
The appointment is subject to regulatory approval while a search for Čortan’s successor as CRO has begun.