BELGIUM – Fortis has appointed Alain Deschenes to the new position of chief information officer to provide “strategy, leadership and management” to information services across the group.

Deschenes, who took up the job in February, will align information and systems technology strategy, processes and resources to support global business needs and Fortis’ strategic decisions.

He reports to Herman Verweilst, deputy chief executive and chief operating officer. Verweilst said Fortis would benefit from Deschenes’ international background and “extensive experience of complex IT Systems at large corporates”.

He also said Fortis aims at a “strong and efficient” unified structure across banking and insurance.

Before joining Fortis, Deschenes was vice president and director for the Boston Consulting Group in Paris and London. It was not clear whether Boston Consulting has replaced Deschenes, as it was unavailable for comment.

Fortis also appointed Jean-Pierre Cardinael, who was IT managing director with Generale de Banque before it was taken over by Fortis, as chief technology officer.

Cardinael took up the job last month and reports to Deschenes. He has retained the position as IT managing director, a spokeswoman for Fortis said.

“Jean-Pierre’s mission is to enhance the quality of service, deliver synergies across the group and support Fortis’s international expansion”, the group said.

Last month Fortis Bank appointed Ernst &Young’s Andrew Collins to the role of head of European client relationships.

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