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18 Mar 2020 – Articles

Frans Woelders joins Danske Bank’s Executive Leadership Team

Frans Woelders takes up his duties as Group COO and member of the Executive Leadership Team with overall responsibility for Group Services and Group IT starting 18 March 2020.

Danske Bank A/S welcomes Frans Woelders as new COO and member of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) starting today, 18 March 2020.

Frans Woelders will be responsible for Group Services (Customer Service Delivery, Group Real Estate, and Group Procurement) and Group IT (CTO Area and CIO Area).

As previously announced, the plan was for Frans Woelders to join the bank in April, but the coming COO has been able to take up his duties slightly earlier.



I look forward to join the rest of the ELT to support our employees in helping our customers during this unusual period. Going forward, I also very much look forward to working with all colleagues from the COO area and across the bank in order to contribute to the bank’s digitalisation agenda as well as the overall vision of building a better bank. 

Frans Woelders

COO, Danske Bank



Frans Woelders joins from the position of Chief Digital Officer for Personal Banking of Royal Bank of Scotland. Prior to that, he has experience from positions with ABN AMRO Bank, including as CEO of Retail Banking and as Group Chief Information Officer.

Chris Vogelzang looks forward to Frans Woelders joining the bank.

Frans Woelders brings extensive experience from top management positions in the financial sector, and I am confident that having him onboard will help the bank both in the current extraordinary situation and with achieving our longer term goals

Chris Vogelzang

CEO, Danske Bank



As Frans Woelders is set to join the Executive Leadership Team, CEO Chris Vogelzang will no longer head the COO area.

Danske Bank's Executive Leadership Team

Following the changes, Danske Bank’s Executive Leadership Team consists of the following members:

  • Chris Vogelzang, CEO
  • Frans Woelders, Chief Operating Officer
  • Berit Behring, Head of Wealth Management
  • Carsten Rasch Egeriis, Chief Risk Officer
  • Glenn Söderholm, Head of Banking Nordic
  • Jacob Aarup-Andersen, interim Chief Financial Officer and Head of Banking DK
  • Jakob Groot, Head of Corporates & Institutions
  • Philippe Vollot, Chief Compliance Officer

As previously announced Stephan Engels is expected to take up his position as Chief Financial Officer and member of the Executive Leadership Team in April 2020.