Leontien de Haan
Entrepreneurs love to talk about their business, and that helps us to give good advice
“It’s only by asking customers lots of questions and listening carefully that you can find out what their real concerns are… what it is that keeps them awake at night,” says Leontien. And then she and her team can offer the best advice and solutions.
“In Business Banking we’re at the heart of the business community. Our customers are companies with turnover of between €20 million and €250 million – not so big that the contact becomes impersonal, but big enough to face many concrete challenges. They’re often family firms, which means that business life and private life are intertwined.”
Dreams and ambitions
“We deal with the directors/owners themselves and are at their side during important changes, such as an acquisition, succession, major investments or the purchase of new premises. It’s amazing how much you get to know about these customers. They share their dreams and ambitions with you at a very early stage. To make sure I give the best possible advice, I ask lots of questions and listen carefully. I’m naturally curious, which comes in very handy in this line of work. Entrepreneurs love to talk about their business.”
Fantastic job
“What are other useful qualities? It helps if you have wide-ranging interests. I have a background in business administration, and this role brings many aspects of that together: strategy, operations, finance and HR, and also the psychological and social side – it’s all in there. In that respect it’s surprising that there are still so few women working in this field, because they could contribute a lot. It’s all about getting on the customer’s wavelength and understanding what he or she really needs. It’s a fantastic job.”
Keeping all the balls in the air
“My own role is broader: as a sector director, I not only have my own customer portfolio but I’m also responsible for my team, the relationship managers and the product specialists. My main aim is to ensure that the team members work well together, deliver an optimal performance and continue to develop. I also share the responsibility for the regional strategy with the other sector directors. It’s not always easy to combine everything, but the challenge keeps me on my toes and energises me. I get a kick out of keeping all the balls in the air.”
Ambition
“This role suits me well and I won’t get bored with it anytime soon, but I’m also curious to explore what else I’m capable of. I enjoy taking on additional projects alongside my job and experiencing potential future roles. I certainly get every opportunity to do that at ING, so I don’t hide my ambition.”
About Leontien
Leontien studied Business Administration at the University of Groningen, with a specialisation in HRM. Having started at ABN Amro as a recruiter, she decided that she wanted to use her business knowledge more widely. After a number of other posts at ABN Amro and Deutsche Bank, she moved to ING at the end of 2017. Leontien is married, has three children and a dog, and is actively involved in her children’s various sporting activities. She also goes running, plays tennis, trains with a personal trainer and enjoys a busy social life.