Securities and Payments: Building Stronger Services Through Integration
Securities and payment processing operate in different domains, but they serve a very similar institutional client base. Both require deep expertise, robust infrastructure, and the ability to handle significant volumes with consistent quality. Elke Van den Abeele (General Manager at KBC Securities Services) and Didier Moens (Head of Customer Solutions) discuss the logic behind this integration.
For financial institutions, securities processing and payment services are increasingly complex, highly regulated, and operationally intensive. Yet for clients, they must function seamlessly, reliably, and securely. This mutual tension explains why KBC chose to bring International Cash Clearing (ICC) and Securities Services together within a single Competence Center under joint leadership, aligning expertise, infrastructure, and governance to better support clients.
“In both securities and ICC, scale is essential,” Didier Moens explains. “It allows us to process volumes efficiently, keep costs under control, and deliver a high and stable level of service. By uniting the teams under one division, we can share expertise more easily, create stronger synergies, and ultimately support our clients even better.”
The result is a clearly defined vision for both the securities and payment proposition: putting the client at the center and taking complexity off their shoulders. For securities clients, KBC offers a complete end‑to‑end solution for financial institutions, independent wealth managers, brokerage houses, and funds for the processing of their securities, managing every step of the chain from start to finish.
“We want customers to feel truly supported and to build relationships that last.”
Didier Moens, Head of Customer Solutions, KBC Securities Services
Why are banks working together on this?
“Strategically, ICC’s positioning has become clearer, with a deliberate focus on processing international payments of tier-2 and tier-3 banks and renewed attention to the Belgian market, alongside international activity,” Elke Van den Abeele explains. The team’s priorities are operational excellence, deep expertise, and long‑term client relationships. “We invest strongly in our existing clients while also seeking new partnerships that fit our strategic ambition. The combined setup of securities and payments alsocreates natural cross‑selling opportunities with one trusted partner,” Didier adds.
This integration also strengthens the organization internally. Larger, more integrated teams reduce dependency on individual specialists and increase resilience. “We’re better equipped to absorb peaks and unexpected situations,” notes Elke. “That ultimately improves continuity for our clients.”
Quality remains the non-negotiable foundation of this model. KBC is not a discount provider and does not compromise on delivery standards. “If we’re not confident that we can deliver the required quality, we simply don’t do it,” says Didier. This philosophy is reflected in a strong Net Promoter Score for ICC of 52 and underpins the continued development of ICC within an integrated institutional services structure.
“ICC has a deliberate focus on processing international payments of tier-2 and tier-3 banks”
Elke Van den Abeele, General Manager, KBC Securities Services