KBC Financial Institutions Group
Emmanuel Stas, Head of Financial Institutions Group (FIG), discusses the role of FIG within the KBC Group.
Within KBC Group, the Financial Institutions Group (FIG) plays a unique role as the central access point for all financial institutions that work with KBC. While ICC focuses on a specialized segment within Securities Services, FIG oversees things from a broader perspective. The team offers institutional clients—from banks and supranationals to insurers, funds, and pension institutes—a single, integrated gateway to the full range of KBC services.
“KBC is one of the more solvent banks in the world, with the best “global Banking App” and a strong presence across Central and Eastern Europe. Our mission is to rank among the top three in every country where we operate,” says Emmanuel Stas, who has been with KBC for 17 years and was made head of FIG in January 2025.
Strategic Partners
“FIG focuses on three core tasks. We manage onboarding and KYC (Know Your Customer) for all financial institutions in the group. Thanks to a central competence center in Brno (Czech Republic), this screening process is uniform, efficient, and meets the highest quality standards. That’s crucial in a world where reputational risk is just as important as financial risk.”
The FIG team also builds lasting relationships with financial institutions around the globe. “Relationship managers combine geographical expertise with local market knowledge, making them strategic partners in complex situations. Worldwide connections make the difference when cross-border cases need to be resolved quickly, these connections make all the difference. FIG also manages the credit and limit risk of all countries and financial institutions that KBC partners with. By monitoring exposure centrally, we can ensure a consistent, group-wide approach to (credit and limit) risk.”
“We have an extensive KBC network and bring together a wealth of expertise.”
Emmanuel Stas, Head of Financial Institutions Group
Wide Range of Solutions
According to Emmanuel, the strength of KBC lies in the combination of international reach and strong local roots. “Our clients see us as a partner who is digitally savvy and approachable.” Emmanuel stresses that FIG does not operate in isolation. “We work closely with business lines like International Cash Clearing, Securities Services, Trade Finance, Treasury, Markets,… as well as our home markets (CSOB, K&H, UBB) and independent subsidiaries companies such as Discai . Our role is to connect, coordinate, and accelerate.” This collaboration allows KBC to offer a wide range of solutions beyond cash clearing, including custody, FX, guarantees, and export financing.
What drives Emmanuel personally? “Building a team that’s ready for the future while staying true to the PEARL-culture that makes KBC unique, guided by our core values: respectful, responsive, and results driven. We create relationships that evolve with the complexities of the financial world. Our ambition is simple: to build long-term partnerships that genuinely help our clients succeed.”
