Transformation at KBC

KBC is nominated in the Transformative Innovator of the Year category at the Qorus-Infosys Finacle Banking Innovation Awards 2025. We asked the bank to present its strategy and actions in terms of transformation.



What transformation strategy has your organization led in recent years?

Over the past years, our organization has led a bold transformation guided by the vision 'Digital first with a human touch'. We reimagined our role beyond banking and insurance, embedding ourselves in customers' daily lives through ecosystems in mobility, housing, and energy. 

Our transformation strategy encompasses the business model by a.o. expanding into non-financial services, the operating model by a.o. adopting Agile and KPI-driven approach, and technology by leveraging AI through our personal assistant Kate, as well as data-analytics and AI/data-driven decision-making. 

We prioritized customer experience through hyper-personalized journeys and intuitive UX and forged strategic partnerships to drive growth. Empowering our workforce with a culture of innovation, inclusion, and collaboration, we navigate complex challenges and drove change at all levels. 

This transformation, aligned with strategic goals, has positioned us as a digital frontrunner in Belgium and globally.


What prompted this strategic transformation?

The strategic transformation at KBC was prompted by a bold ambition: to become the undisputed digital leader in our home markets by putting customers at the heart of everything we do.

Recognizing the need to evolve beyond traditional banking and insurance, KBC embraced a 'Digital First with a Human Touch' strategy. Market dynamics and the rise of digital ecosystems and AI prompted this shift. Customers sought convenience, trust, personalized experiences, and solutions beyond merely financial, seamlessly integrated into their daily lives. 

Key challenges included aligning legacy systems with agile innovation, fostering a culture of experimentation, and building cross-functional collaboration. 

KBC leveraged AI and data to personalize experiences, launched services like Kate and KBC Mobile, and expanded into ecosystems such as housing and mobility. 

The leadership team was driven by a long-term vision to empower customers, streamline operations, and set new industry standards. 

This transformation shapes the future of banking.

What have been the most significant changes implemented, and how were they led?

The most significant changes at KBC were bold, visionary, and transformative. KBC evolved from a traditional bank-insurer to a digital pioneer with groundbreaking products and services like the KBC Mobile app and Kate, our personal assistant, and non-financial services. We placed customer centricity at the core and forged strategic partnerships to drive growth. 

Technologically, the launch of Kate revolutionized customer interaction by handling millions of conversations and enabling hyper-personalized services. This development and implementation accelerated the transformation of KBC into data-drive organization. 

Organizationally, we built multidisciplinary teams, fostering agile, cross-functional collaboration with a 'freedom within a framework' model ensuring all themes are covered. 

Culturally, we embedded a customer-first mindset, championed diversity, and empowered teams to innovate. Our hands-on and strategic leadership translated vision into execution, aligned transformation with business goals, and inspired teams to challenge the status quo. 

Our drive, strategic clarity, and inclusive leadership have redefined digital transformation in financial services.


What unique or key transformation practices do you follow to ensure success?

At KBC, transformation is driven by a unique blend of strategic vision, agile governance, and customer focus. Our 'freedom within a framework' model empowers business and IT to innovate rapidly, supported by a biannual roadmap ensuring alignment and adaptability. Agile principles accelerate delivery, while our AI-empowered personal assistant, Kate, personalizes customer journeys. This holistic customer-centric transformation model combines structure, creativity, and strategic partnerships, enabling KBC to deliver breakthrough solutions, setting new standards in digital banking. 

We foster fintech collaborations and embed third-party services into our ecosystem, extending beyond banking into mobility, housing and energy. 

Our cloud-first approach enables scalable and secure innovation. 

Through our startup accelerator, StartIt, which fuels disruptive thinking, we actively support innovation and growth. 

Sustainable solutions and environmental impact are prioritized, ensuring our services contribute to a greener future.

How has your workforce been engaged and transformed through this journey?

Our workforce transformation has been pivotal to KBC's digital success. We built multidisciplinary teams of talented individuals, spanning various backgrounds and expertise. 

Through agile governance and a 'freedom within a framework' model, we empowered teams to adapt swiftly to the ever-changing market landscape, innovate rapidly and align with strategic goals. We prioritized upskilling, embedding UX and data-drive thinking across roles, and fostered a culture of experimentation and continuous learning. 

Leadership development was driven by inclusion - KBC's Diversity Framework ensured equal opportunities and inspired women in leadership. Employees are not just part of the transformation - they are the driving force behind it. This culture creates a dynamic, resilient workforce that embraces innovation and delivers exceptional customer experiences. 

This approach has been instrumental in our success, enabling us to not just keep pace with change, but to drive it proactively.


What measurable outcomes demonstrate the success of your transformation?

KBC's transformation success is visible across multiple dimensions. 

Our AI personal assistant Kate sets new standards in financial services, handling over 50% of our inbound customer interactions, 7 out of 10 questions are fully autonomously answered by Kate. Equivalent to 140 employees. Kate serves 2+ million users in four languages, with 600k+ personalized conversations monthly. Kate boosts efficiency, engagement, and customer satisfaction now already exceeding 60% and still rising. 

KBC Mobile sets a global standard, ranking as the best app in Belgium and internationally. With 3.5+ million daily sessions and 2.4+ million users, it exemplifies customer-centric innovation. We foster dynamic partnerships, with 50 integrated partners and 200+ partners using KBC services. 

Through StartIt, our accelerator, we engage with startups in housing, mobility, energy, and sustainability. Ensuring that we maintain a competitive edge. 

Internally, we cultivated a diverse, empowered workforce, fostering cross-functional collaboration that drives innovation at scale. 

We received numerous domestic and international awards, reflecting our holistic, customer-centric, data-driven  transformation.