Robert Van Kerkhoff
Company
BNP Paribas Securities Services Luxembourg
Position
CEO
MAKING THE DIFFERENCE WITH DATA AND EXPERTISE.
ROBERT VAN KERKHOFF, THE LUXEMBOURG-BASED HEAD OF BNP PARIBAS SECURITIES SERVICES FOR THE GRAND DUCHY, IRELAND & THE CHANNEL ISLANDS, SAYS IN AN INTERVIEW THAT HIS ROLE IS ABOUT DRIVING GROWTH AND DEVELOPING THE BANK'S OFFERING ACROSS THESE THREE MARKETS.
How would you describe your professional journey?
I started at the options exchange in the Netherlands where I focused on risk management, and a few jobs later, I joined Fortis Bank as Head of Risk in 2002. My wife is Spanish, so I gladly agreed to move to Madrid in 2005 as Deputy COO and later COO for Spain and Portugal; it was a very interesting experience in terms of cultural dynamics. After three more years in Spain, I moved to Paris as Deputy Head of Operations for Asset and Funds Services worldwide, a role in which again I enjoyed adapting to a new culture, col- leagues and structure. In 2015, I went back to the Netherlands as Head of the Dutch Branch of BNP Paribas Securities Services. Over the next four years, we went from a team of 25 people to 100 and significantly increased our market share thanks to successful business integrations.
What are your main goals?
My first goal is to strengthen our current position in the Luxembourg market by leveraging our global footprint and capabilities. Secondly, we want to invest further in innovation in order to enhance our platform, but also our organisation. We would like to reinforce the active role our firm already plays in local initiatives. I have no doubt that our understanding of the changing market landscape and the intricacies of the securities services industry will enable us to lead the way in the present challenging context. Experience and grasp of the challenges of the future are the keys to success in the modern world and I am convinced this can be achieved thanks to our flexibility, collaboration, a strong sense of ownership and fluent communication throughout the organisation. Our clients will therefore benefit from the connectivity and local knowledge they need to navigate change in a fast-moving world with a partner that can help them achieve their ambitions. BNP Paribas Securities Services’ ambition is to be the leading positive-impact asset servicing provider. Our goal is to embed sustain- ability in all our daily operational activities. This will have multiple beneficial effects for our clients but most of all it will bolster our positive impact on society and the environment.
What are the most important developments taking place in the fund industry?
The most important element in our industry today is related to data rather than traditional asset servicing – it is where we can make the difference for our clients. The challenge is to make sure that all data remain consistent through the chain and across multiple platforms. We need to be the best at enriching the data and returning it to our clients when and where they need it. We can achieve this as we have a high level of expertise within our teams and are committed to maintaining and developing that level through state-of-the-art up-skilling and re-skilling programmes. My role as CEO is to ensure we always stay true to our DNA.
Facts & Figures
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Birthday: 26-01-1970
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Birthplace : Nijmegen in the Netherlands
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Nationality: Dutch
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Languages: Dutch, English, Spanish, German and French
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Hobbies: Theatre, cinema and sports
My favourites
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Cities: Amsterdam, Madrid and Grave
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Places: On a boat in the Amsterdam channels
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Books: My Left Foot (book or movie are both great)
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Restaurants: Tapas and Japanese
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Music: All kinds of music from Jazz to Flamenco
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Artists: Lita Cabellut