Prominent European financier is going to be "Doctor Honoris Causa" of VUZF
At its meeting held on January 26, 2016, the Academic council of VUZF unanimously adopted the decision to award the honorary title "Doctor Honoris Causa" of the university to Lucien Gijsens, CEO of KBC Bank & Insurance and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of CIBANK and DZI, as part of the KBC group.
The award is given for contribution of Gijsens to the management and development of the KBC Bank & Insurance Bulgaria and Europe, as well as the creation of a joint master's program "Innovation and business processes in the insurance" between VUZF and DZI.
Luc Gijsens professional path began in 1977, when he joined the Kredietbank NV Successively he held the positions of currency merchant bank representative and manager of branches in Hong Kong, Bahrain, Los Angeles and Antwerp. In 1994 he rose to general manager of the Kredietbank in Antwerp. After the merging of the bank with ABB-Insurance and CERA (Centrale Raiffeisenkas) Bank and the creation of the KBC Bank & Insurance Holding in 1998, in 2000 Gijsens became Senior General Manager of KBC Bank. From 2011 he is the CEO of KBC Bank & Insurance and Executive Board member of the KBC Group. Since 2014 he is Chairman of the Supervisory Board of CIBANK and DZI, which are part of the KBC Group.
Solemn ceremony of honorary distinction will be held on February 19, 2016, at 11.30 in the hotel "Riu Pravets Resort." The event will be attended by officials from the headquarters of KBC Group in Brussels, representatives of the Bulgarian and the European financial elite.
Lucien Gijsens will be the seventh recipient of the prestigious academic title "Doctor Honoris Causa" of VUZF. So far in the history of the higher school this highest distinction was awarded to Dr. Fernando Montes-Negret in 2013, Dr. Peter Hajdu in 2011, Dr. Klaus Junker in 2009, Dr. Luka Dokov in 2008, Dr. Reinhard Bauermayster and Dr. Guenther Krause in 2007.