KBC Group has appointed a new chief executive to lead its Irish operations.
Frank Jansen, who is currently the Chief Financial and Product Officer (CFPO), is to assume the CEO role.
It follows the appointment of Aleš Blažek, the current boss of KBC Bank Ireland, to the role of CEO of the Czech business unit.
Mr Jansen takes over the top job as the bank prepares to wind down its operations in Ireland.
Bank of Ireland is planning to buy around €8.8 billion worth of KBC's performing mortgages, €100m worth of its performing commercial and consumer loans, €4.4 billion of deposits and around €300m of non-performing loans.
The proposal is currently before the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission which in a preliminary assessment following a phase two probe has expressed concern that plan could substantially reduce competition in the mortgage market.
KBC has also sold its non-performing mortgage loan portfolio worth €1.1 billion in a transaction financed by funds managed by CarVal Investors.
"Frank has an abundance of knowledge and experience from the different domains of banking to bring to the role as CEO in KBC Bank Ireland, including his years as Chief Financial and Risk Officer for CIBANK and CFO for KBC Group in Bulgaria before coming to KBC Ireland in 2018 where he has been the Chief Financial and Products Officer," said Peter Andronov, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of KBC Bank Ireland.
"I am particularly pleased that Frank is taking on this role as he knows KBC Bank Ireland well and understands the business and the strategic challenge ahead to ensure both the smooth execution of the legally binding agreement with Bank of Ireland Group and KBC’s orderly exit from the Irish market," he added.
62 year old Mr Jansen began his career in the Belgian KBC bank branch network and moved in 1998 to CSOB In the Czech Republic where he was appointed Executive Director.
He later spent time working as executive director for Kredyt Bank Poland and as General Manager of KBC France.
He also served as CFRO at CIBANK, KBC Group's Bulgarian banking subsidiary before becoming Executive Director Corporate and SME banking and Country CFO for KBC in Bulgaria from 2014 to 2017.
He then went on to become Executive Director Corporate and SME of the merged United Bulgarian Bank.
In 2019 he was appointed as CFPO and member of the Executive Committee of KBC Bank Ireland.
