Raymond Vermolen, ING’s Global Head of Media Relations, opened the event by outlining an agenda filled with presentations, Q&A sessions, and interviews featuring senior management.
A Legacy of Innovation in Banking
ING’s event underscored its commitment to redefining banking conventions. A nostalgic video from the late 1990s highlighted the introduction of ING Direct, a branchless banking model that slashed costs and provided customers with better savings rates. Over the ensuing years, ING successfully propagated this low-cost, predominantly digital model across Spain, Australia, France, the United States, and the United Kingdom, well before the advent of smartphones and digital banking integration.
Global Reach and Retail Aspirations
Today, ING boasts a workforce of 60,000 employees globally, including 20,000 dedicated engineers, and operates in over a hundred countries. With a balance sheet surpassing 1.1 trillion euros, it holds more than 700 billion euros in customer loans and nearly 740 billion euros in deposits. Remarkably, profits for 2025 are projected to surpass 7 billion euros.
Retail operations, which account for half of ING’s capital and two-thirds of its profits, cater to more than 40 million customers worldwide. Particularly, ING stands as a prominent mortgage provider in Europe, having financed over €300 billion in home loans and offering €100 billion in loans to small and medium enterprises.
Embracing Digital Growth and AI Innovation
At the core of ING’s strategy is a strong commitment to digital innovation. Last year, an impressive 1.2 million customers engaged with ING’s services digitally, eliminating the need for human interaction. Almost 70% of loan applications were processed via direct digital workflows, while online transactions accounted for 90% of sales. The mobile application alone garnered 170 million visits each week. ING is also pioneering the use of Generative AI in customer service, marketing, and even coding, with plans to implement agentic AI in mortgage processes starting in Germany and the Netherlands, and voice agents in Spain and Germany.
Enhancing Financial Literacy and Wealth Transfer
Highlighting the interplay between financial education and generational wealth transfer in Europe, Matteo Pomoni, Head of Investments and Wealth at ING in Italy, discussed the challenges and prospects that lie ahead. He emphasized that this presents a “fantastic opportunity for the entire European financial system,” while cautioning that it will involve significant effort. Pomoni noted that European households, especially in Italy, tend to be far more conservative in their investment strategies compared to their American counterparts, which negatively impacts personal wealth. To address this, ING embraces a three-pillar approach centered on innovation, personalization, and transparency—recognizing that financial literacy is crucial to empowering customers.
Investment Outlook for 2026
Bob Homan, head of ING Investment Office, expressed a cautiously optimistic view for the year ahead: “It will be a good year, but not too good. Comparatively, the prospects will be significantly better than what savings accounts currently offer.” He anticipates that European stocks may appreciate by around 6% through a combination of value appreciation and dividends, with real estate expected to yield about 5% and government bonds remaining close to zero. Given the anticipated market volatility, effective active management will be essential as certain stocks emerge as winners or losers, especially with the influence of AI.
Expanding Access to Private Markets
In a move to democratize investment, ING introduced its private markets platform in October 2023. This platform aims to make investment opportunities in private markets more accessible and efficient for all clients, breaking down the conventional barriers that typically favor wealthy individuals or institutions. With a potential reach extending to 400 million people and 30 million businesses, ING is committed to driving both organic growth and enhancing its digital offerings. This initiative aligns with the broader goal of making banking accessible, transparent, and enjoyable for entrepreneurs and retail customers alike.