ING Group N.V.

Banking and financial servicesFounded 1991- HQ today: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Founders

Who Founded ING?

Nationale-Nederlanden, NMB Postbank Groep · Founded 1991 · HQ today: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Who founded ING?

ING was founded by Nationale-Nederlanden, NMB Postbank Groep in 1991. It is now led by Steven van Rijswijk.

Founders: Nationale-Nederlanden, NMB Postbank Groep
Founded: 1991
Headquarters: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Number of founders: 2
Current CEO: Steven van Rijswijk (since 2020)

Where was ING founded?: ING was founded in Amsterdam, Netherlands in 1991.
When was ING founded?: ING was founded in 1991.
Who started ING?: ING was founded by Nationale-Nederlanden and NMB Postbank Groep.
How old is ING?: ING is 35 years old as of 2026.

Founding Story

ING was born in 1991 when insurer Nationale-Nederlanden merged with NMB Postbank Groep after Dutch rules separating banks and insurers were relaxed. In 1997 it tested a radical idea in Canada: ING Direct, a savings bank with no branches that used phone and later internet channels and passed lower costs to savers through higher rates. The model spread to the US, Australia, Germany, Spain and other markets and became the template for ING's mobile-first bank today.

Nationale-Nederlanden

Co-founder 1963

Background

Life, pension and property insurance in the Netherlands, with roots going back to 1845.

Role at ING Group N.V.

Nationale-Nederlanden was the largest Dutch insurer when it merged with NMB Postbank Groep in 1991 to form Internationale Nederlanden Groep (ING). It had been created in 1963 by combining De Nederlanden van 1845 and Nationale Levensverzekering-Bank. Its European insurance business later became NN Group, which ING floated and fully separated between 2014 and 2016. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).

NMB Postbank Groep

Co-founder 1989

Background

Retail and SME banking, tracing back to the 1881 Rijkspostspaarbank and NMB Bank's 1927 origins.

Role at ING Group N.V.

NMB Postbank Groep was formed in 1989 when NMB Bank, a lender to small and mid-sized businesses, merged with Postbank, the former state postal savings and giro bank. Its mass-market retail deposit base became the core of ING's banking operations after the 1991 merger with Nationale-Nederlanden. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).

ING Group N.V.: CEO & Leadership History

Full timeline →

Steven van Rijswijk

Chief Executive Officer

2020 – Present

Under his leadership ING grew total income to ~$26 billion (€23.0 billion) in 2025 and raised its 2026-2027 return outlook after strong 2Q2026 results.

Ralph Hamers

CEO

2013 – 2020

Completed the post-crisis restructuring and grew ING's digital customer base. His tenure was overshadowed by the 2018 AML settlement; he left to become CEO of UBS.

Jan Hommen

CEO

2009 – 2013

Stabilised ING after the bailout and began repaying Dutch state aid.

Michel Tilmant

CEO

2004 – 2009

He resigned as CEO during the 2008 financial crisis as the bank required a massive €10 billion bailout from the Dutch government due to toxic US mortgage-backed securities.

Keep researching ING

Who Founded ING? FAQ

When and how was ING Group officially created in 1991?

ING Group (Internationale Nederlanden Groep) was officially created on March 4, 1991, through the historic merger of the largest Dutch insurer, Nationale-Nederlanden, and the prominent state-associated banking entity, NMB Postbank Group.

What was the founding history and role of Postbank in Dutch society?

Postbank originated in 1881 as the Rijkspostspaarbank (State Post Office Savings Bank), established by the Dutch government to provide accessible savings accounts to citizens via local post offices. It later merged with the Postal Giro Service (PCGD) to become the primary banking lifeline for Dutch households.

What was the founding history of Nationale-Nederlanden in 1963?

Nationale-Nederlanden was formed in 1963 through the merger of De Nederlanden van 1845 (fire and life insurance) and the Nationale Levensverzekering-Bank (founded 1863), creating the dominant insurance company in the Netherlands.

What was the founding history of NMB Bank (Nederlandsche Middenstandsbank)?

NMB Bank was established in 1927 in the Netherlands to provide specialized commercial financing and credit for small and medium-sized enterprises (Middenstand), growing to merge with Postbank in 1989 before joining the ING Group.

Who was Arkadi Kuhlmann and how did he found and scale ING Direct in 1997?

Arkadi Kuhlmann was the founding CEO of ING Direct Canada and ING Direct USA in 1997. Kuhlmann created the major branchless digital bank concept, using well-known orange branding, witty anti-bank advertising, and no-fee high-yield savings to acquire millions of savers.

What historic 1990 legal deregulation in the Netherlands made the creation of ING possible?

In 1990, the Dutch government lifted historical legal barriers separating banks and insurance companies (Bancassurance ban), allowing Nationale-Nederlanden and NMB Postbank to merge in 1991 and form the modern ING Group.

What was Barings Bank and how did its 1995 acquisition by ING save the historic British institution?

Founded in 1762, Barings was the oldest merchant bank in London. In 1995, after rogue trader Nick Leeson caused its collapse through unauthorized Singapore futures trading, ING stepped in to acquire Barings for £1 and assumed its liabilities, creating ING Barings.

How is the founding heritage of ING preserved today?

ING's heritage is preserved through the ING Art Center, the historical archives of the Postbank and Rijkspostspaarbank, and the enduring orange color scheme symbolizing its deep Dutch national identity.

Who founded ING?

Because it is a massive merger, there is no single founder. Its roots trace back to 1845 with the founding of the Netherlands Fire Insurance Company, and 1881 with the creation of the Rijkspostspaarbank (the Dutch State Postal Savings Bank). The modern massive ING entity was orchestrated by elite Dutch financiers in 1991 to create a global powerhouse.

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Core profile pages, founders and related research hubs for this company.

Who founded ING?

Founding Story

Nationale-Nederlanden

Background

Role at ING Group N.V.

NMB Postbank Groep

Background

Role at ING Group N.V.

ING Group N.V.: CEO & Leadership History

Keep researching ING

Who Founded ING? FAQ

When and how was ING Group officially created in 1991?

What was the founding history and role of Postbank in Dutch society?

What was the founding history of Nationale-Nederlanden in 1963?

What was the founding history of NMB Bank (Nederlandsche Middenstandsbank)?

Who was Arkadi Kuhlmann and how did he found and scale ING Direct in 1997?

What historic 1990 legal deregulation in the Netherlands made the creation of ING possible?

What was Barings Bank and how did its 1995 acquisition by ING save the historic British institution?

How is the founding heritage of ING preserved today?

Who founded ING?

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