Subject to the approval of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on 6 May 2021, KBC Group will reshuffle its Executive Committee:

- Luc Popelier, the current CEO of the International Markets Business Unit, will succeed Rik Scheerlinck as CFO and Executive Director of KBC Group. Luc will also oversee Markets and KBC Securities.

- On the recommendation of the KBC Group Nomination Committee, the Board of Directors has appointed Peter Andronov, the current CEO of UBB and Country Manager for Bulgaria, to the Executive Committee and successor to Luc Popelier as CEO of the International Markets Business Unit. Не will also oversee KBC Asset Management.

- The appointments of Luc Popelier and Peter Andronov have all been approved by the European Central Bank and National Bank of Belgium.

- Peter Andronov will be succeeded as CEO of UBB and Country Manager for Bulgaria by Peter Roebben, the current CEO of KBC Bank Ireland, subject to the approval of the Bulgarian regulator.

Johan Thijs, shared the following regarding Peter Andronov’s nomination: “I am delighted to welcome Peter Andronov to our Executive Committee. Besides his many years of professional, academic and international experience, Peter has in-depth economic and financial knowledge that will allow him to make a significant contribution to the continued development of our group in our core markets in Central Europe and Ireland. Over the past 13 years, he has guided our business in Bulgaria through very challenging times. He successfully managed the acquisition of United Bulgarian Bank and the subsequent merger with CIBank, and has prepared our Bulgarian entities for the digital transformation process. His qualities have also been recognized by the outside world, being not only a four-times winner of the Banker of the Year award, but also receiving a Manager of the Year award, winning the Burov Prize for Bank Management, being voted ‘Mr. Economy’ and being decorated as an Officer of the Order of the Crown of Belgium.”

Johan Thijs also congratulated Peter Roebben on his appointment as CEO, responsible for the activities of the KBC Group in Bulgaria: “With Peter we have chosen a CEO with far-reaching and extensive international experience in the financial sector. Moreover, as customer experience, innovation and digital transformation have become increasingly important, Peter’s experience at KBC Bank Ireland – the Irish digital frontrunner – will prove invaluable in his new role as CEO in Bulgaria, for taking the digital transformation of our operations in this country to the next level. I truly believe that his wide-ranging experience in complex, international and transformative business models and in-depth knowledge of the Group, the sector and new technologies will be critical in supporting KBC’s strategy, which will be to the benefit of all our stakeholders.’