New appointment to the BNP Paribas Fortis Executive Committee

Frederik Vandepitte has been appointed Head of Priority, Private Banking & Wealth Management and a member of the Executive Committee of BNP Paribas Fortis. As Head of Priority, Private Banking & Wealth Management, Frederik will succeed Sandra Wilikens, who is leaving the bank.

Frederik Vandepitte has more than 20 years of experience in financial services in Belgium and abroad, most recently as Managing Director and CEO of CERA/KBC Ancora Group. Frederik’s appointment follows Sandra Wilikens’ decision to pursue new challenges outside the bank. She will step down from the BNP Paribas Fortis Board of Directors and Executive Board on 31 December 2026.

CEO Michael Anseeuw stated: “First and foremost I would like to thank Sandra for her commitment and loyalty during her career at BNP Paribas Fortis. It has been a pleasure to work with her. Together with the members of the Executive Committee, I warmly welcome Frederik as Head of Priority, Private Banking & Wealth Management. I wish him every success in his new challenge.”

Sandra Wilikens commented: “After 22 years with BNP Paribas Fortis, I have decided to step down from my role as Executive Director and start a new chapter in my professional journey. Having held various positions in the financial sector, with significant responsibilities, I feel it is the right time to focus more on non-executive roles, including outside the financial sector. It has been an incredible journey, filled with challenges, opportunities, learning, and, above all, great people. I have had the privilege of working with some of the best professionals in the industry and with colleagues whose commitment, expertise and passion have inspired me over the years. I am deeply grateful for the trust, support and friendships I have gained along the way. I leave BNP Paribas Fortis with enormous pride and gratitude for everything we have achieved together, and with great confidence in the future of the bank.”

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Bios

Frederik Vandepitte

Frederik Vandepitte (b. 1974) began his career at the Boston Consulting Group in 1997. Between 2002 and 2015, he worked in investment banking at Morgan Stanley in London and Sydney, ultimately serving as Managing Director overseeing the firm’s Belgian activities. In 2016, he became a member of the Management Committee of Incofin Investment Management, an independent impact investment management firm, where he was responsible for strategy, investor solutions and HR. In 2018, he joined KBC Securities to become its CEO in 2019. He was in charge of the M&A advisory, ECM, institutional brokerage, DCM and structured finance activities and he strengthened the collaboration with KBC Corporate Banking, Family Capital Solutions and Private Banking. In February 2024, he became Managing Director and CEO of CERA/KBC Ancora Group, a role he held until June 2026.

Frederik Vandepitte holds a degree in Commercial Engineering (Managerial Informatics) from KU Leuven and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Sandra Wilikens

Sandra Wilikens (b. 1967) holds master’s degrees in both law and tax law from Vrije Universiteit Brussel. After completing her studies, she began her career as a tax consultant with Price Waterhouse, before working as a tax manager at Banque Paribas from 1994 to 2000. She then joined the Belgian branch of BNP Paribas Private Banking as Head of Estate Planning. In 2004 she took up a position as Advisor on Wealth Structuring with MeesPierson Belgium (the precursor to BNP Paribas Fortis Private Banking) and was subsequently promoted to Director of Wealth Management Belgium at BNP Paribas Fortis. She also joined the BNP Paribas Fortis Private Banking management team in 2011. In 2015, Sandra was appointed Corporate Secretary and a member of the Executive Committee. In 2018 she became Chief HR Officer and in 2022 a member of the bank’s Executive Board and the Board of Directors. In 2024 she became Head of Priority, Private Banking & Wealth Management.