The process to get from a concept to something that works for our customers is infinitely fascinating

From all the experiences in his personal and professional life – and there have been quite a few – he has learnt something that benefits this role, which he has held since April 2023. It all started in his native India, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, and where he ran his own café for a couple of years. “I wanted to learn how to run – and grow – a business,” explains Pallav. After completing his MBA, he went to work for a large consulting firm in Dubai. He later moved to Sydney for the same company and has also lived and worked in Nigeria and Egypt. In 2020, he moved to the Netherlands. He started at ING’s global headquarters as an internal consultant for global sourcing and procurement, which was a new role at the time.

Pallav feels a strong connection with the world around him, and this is also evident in how he spends his spare time. He is passionate about ecology and biodiversity. And in Dubai, in parallel with his job, he launched an initiative to support migrant workers with financial issues. “Such as opening a bank account, getting insurance, things like that. That became a very big project; we helped a lot of people. I believe it’s important to look beyond your own bubble. And I love turning an idea into reality.”

That was one reason why, after several years as an internal consultant, he was keen to work on the business side at ING. “I want to contribute to building a product’s success. And I got that opportunity at ING’s Retail Bank Netherlands, where I’ve been Product Manager and Customer Journey Expert for current accounts since 2023. This is an overarching role that involves everything needed to not only keep the product functioning properly, but also to improve it for our customers.”

“One primary goal is to encourage our customers to make more use of the mobile banking app. That means we need to make things as easy and accessible as possible for them. My work ranges from strategy and concept formation, to contact with senior management for mandate and budget, and alignment with departments like Risk, Finance and Legal. And then comes execution together with various teams, implementation and further refinement... That whole process, to get from a concept to something that works for our customers, is infinitely fascinating. And the fact that we do this for millions of users makes the work extra challenging. I’m always aware of how big our impact is, and the level of responsibility that entails. That’s humbling, in a way.”