KBL European Private Bankers (KBL epb) announced today the appointment of Cédric Lebegge as General Manager, Project Management Office, based in Luxembourg. In this newly created role, Lebegge will lead the coordination, monitoring and support of large-scale group projects.

This appointment comes at a time when KBL epb is focused on realizing its vision to become a top 20 European private banking group by 2015. To achieve this ambitious goal, the group is currently identifying inorganic growth opportunities – including through potential acquisitions in its core markets.

Simultaneously, KBL epb has launched a group-wide Transformation Programme, a series of 14 key initiatives aimed at further professionalizing its approach to clients, delivering greater value and contributing to bottom-line results.

As head of the Project Management Office, Lebegge and his team will play a steering role in both of these areas, among others, ensuring the long-term success of such projects across the group’s nine-country European footprint.

Earlier, Lebegge served as a Brussels-based Partner in the Financial Services Practice at Bain & Company, a global business consultancy. During his 15 years of service there, he led a range of large-scale transformation and integration programmes for leading banks in Europe and Latin America, working from the firm’s Amsterdam, Kiev, Paris and Sao Paulo offices. 

Commenting on this appointment, Marc Lauwers, Chief Operating Officer, KBL epb, said: “With significant international experience, including special expertise in post-acquisition integration, Cédric Lebegge will help us sustain our positive momentum. Indeed, at this transformative moment for KBL epb, his appointment will accelerate the process of positive change currently taking place across the group.”

An expert in corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions, new market entry and turnaround programmes, Lebegge is the author of Mergers and Acquisitions in the Belgian Banking Sector. A Belgian national, he earned an MBA from INSEAD and a Master’s degree in business engineering from the Solvay Business School in Brussels.

Today’s announcement follows a string of high-profile appointments at the Luxembourg-headquartered group, which recently reported a net profit of €41.9 million for the first half of 2013, up more than 300% compared to €9.7 million for the same period last year. That robust performance reflects the group’s increased income, lower operating expenses and significantly reduced impairment provisions compared to the corresponding period in 2012.