Dorothee van Vredenburch,  the former chairman of Citigate Europe is to become the new managing director of ING Corporate Communications and Affairs, the corporate communications unit of ING. She will replace the current CEO Frank Koster, who is leaving Europe to take up the CEO spot at ING's insurance operation in Asia.

Van Vredenburch started her career as an investment analyst, working for a number of banks in London, including ABN AMRO and Swiss Banks. In 1993 she returned to the Netherlands and set up the financial communications firm, First Financial Communications. In 2001 the firm was bought by the global marketing and communications group Incepta (Citigate) in 2001, where Dorothee went on to become managing director and chairman of the board for Citigate before her departure in 2005.

Van Vredenburch will report directly to CEO Jan Hommen. However, in a move that should come as unsurprising given the increased scrutiny from regulators and governments towards the banking world, the role of public affairs is to be stripped out of ING Corporate Communications and Affairs, with Karien van Gennip, head of ING's public and government affairs team also now reporting directly into Hommen.

Dorothee Van Vredenburch will take up her new role on the 2nd November.