Korea’s European Chamber of Commerce Appoint ING Korea Bank’s Head as New Chair

The European Chamber of Commerce in Korea (ECCK) announced this week that it has recruited the country manager of ING Bank Korea to be its new chairman. The group picked Philippe Van Hoof to lead the non-profit and non-political organization.

The ECCK is a distinguished association of Europe-based companies operating in South Korea. It was established to provide various services and support to all European businesses in the country.

Van Hoof’s appointment was formally revealed by the organization on Thursday, June 15. He will be succeding Dirk Lukat, who is currently the chief executive of Schenker Korea. Van Hoof will take over and lead ECCK until the early part of 2025. His assignment to the post comes as Lukat has stepped down while in his third term due to a work transfer.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the new chairman of ECCK has been working as the country manager of ING Bank’s local unit in Seoul since August 2021. Before this, he was the head of ING’s financial institution division in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) and was based in Singapore during his tenure.

Furthermore, Van Hoof is a member of the Asia Pacific Senior Management Team since 2017. He is a Belgian executive with 29 years of experience in the banking industry who has been stationed in various countries, including Singapore, Korea, and Japan. He joined the ECCK as a member in 2021 and was elected chairman of the group’s sustainability committee in June 2022.

“The European Chamber of Commerce in Korea announced the new ECCK Chairperson. Philippe Van Hoof was appointed by the Board to succeed the previous Chairperson Dirk Lukat, who is preparing for his career outside Korea,” the ECCK said in a press release. “Phillipe Van Hoof will continue the Chairperson’s mandate as from June 1, 2023, up to the Board election due in 2025.”

Photo by: ECCK Press Release