When speed and integration mattered, ING stood out as the first bank to fully support a strategic client digitally.
Date: 15/04/2025
Christian Voitl is a seasoned Product Manager at ING Deutschland with nearly 20 years of experience in the banking industry. As a recognized leader in his field, he brings deep expertise across Transaction Services including cash management, trade finance, working capital solutions, and digitalization. Christian plays a key role within the ING network in Germany, where his forward-thinking approach continues to shape and advance digital transformation in trade finance.
Christian and his team have experienced the benefits of using Konsole and integrating with Konsole APIs. Via Konsonle, ING Deutschland was able to digitally and instantly service a strategic client using the GTC solution, @GlobalTrade.
Christian and his team have experienced the benefits of using Konsole and integrating with Konsole APIs. Via Konsonle, ING Deutschland was able to digitally and digitally service a strategic client using the GTC solution, @GlobalTrade.
We invite you to discover this story in this very first edition of the 2025 Komgo Interviews.
Tim-Emilien, Komgo: Even though ING needs no introduction, could you say a few words about ING's role in global trade finance?
Christian, ING: At ING, we continuously aim to connect the world through trade finance and to empower people to stay a step ahead in life and in business. We believe in the necessity of qualified trade finance experts who can provide consistent and trustworthy service and advice. As a large trade bank, we have a strong network of ING branches, predominantly in Europe, in addition to a large network with correspondent banks globally. Our solutions facilitate our clients in protecting themselves against international trade's unique inherent risks, such as currency fluctuations, political instability, issues of non-payment, or the creditworthiness of one of the parties involved. Our excellent service delivery is at the heart of the product offering. Speed combined with safe transactional processing has our highest priority.
Tim-Emilien, Komgo: What challenges did ING face in the realm of digital communication with clients prior to collaborating with Komgo?
Christian Voitl, ING: When interacting with clients, it is always challenging to find the right channel for digital communication – one that enables an interoperable platform covering all relevant trade finance products (Bank guarantees, SBLC, Letters of Credit, etc.) and supports a multi-bank setup. Without utilizing a platform like Konsole, which connects financial institutions and corporates with broad coverage, the challenge lies in onboarding and maintaining multiple communication channels, complicating the process. This onboarding increases the run costs for governance, compliance and operations as users must maintain multiple logins for different systems.
Tim-Emilien, Komgo: How did the deployment of Konsole address these challenges and do you think the solution gives you a competitive advantage?
Christian Voitl, ING: The Konsole API connectivity helped ING to offer digital solutions to corporate clients working with @GlobalTrade, the GTC solution. That is one of the reasons why Konsole is one of our strategic multi-bank channels and its API connectivity with @GlobalTrade helps us extend digital offerings to our clients working with the GTC platform and similar API connectivity with other third-party platforms could help us further increase market share. To me, what makes Konsole unique is interoperability on multi-bank level, integration with other solutions and flexibility to establish API integration with our backend system. When it comes to the service delivered by Komgo teams, Komgo provides very fast support, takes a proactive approach in terms of issue solving, and is open to suggestions for improving the solution.
Tim-Emilien, Komgo: What benefits has ING experienced since adopting Konsole to improve trade finance and bank guarantee management?
Christian Voitl, ING: Since adopting Konsole, ING has experienced several key benefits. The platform has significantly enhanced the digital client experience by streamlining processes and reducing turnaround times. It has also reduced media breaks in communication between the applicant and the bank, allowing for a smoother, end-to-end digital workflow. Through automated data integration into our backend systems, we’ve seen tangible gains in operational efficiency and a marked reduction in the risk of manual errors. The overall digital experience has helped us strengthen client relationships while reinforcing our cybersecurity standards—ensuring secure, efficient data exchange and further mitigating operational risk. Although the current setup does not yet allow beneficiaries to receive guarantees directly, we see this as an opportunity for future enhancement to extend the digital experience even further down the value chain.
Tim-Emilien, Komgo: Looking ahead, what are ING's plans for further digital transformation in trade finance?
Christian Voitl, ING: We are focused on scaling digital solutions and enhancing adoption to maximize impact across the trade finance ecosystem. Digital transformation remains a key priority, particularly through the wider use of digital documents, APIs, and seamless platform integrations. Additionally, we are embedding sustainability into our trade finance offerings to support ESG goals and promote green trade practices. We anticipate a greater focus on interoperability, driving a more efficient and connected trade finance landscape. Komgo has a solid foundation, recent strategic acquisition of GTC, Secondary Market and Trakk modules upgrades, are examples of how Komgo continues to align with evolving industry needs.
Tim-Emilien, Komgo: Thank you for sharing these valuable insights, Christian. It’s clear that ING’s collaboration with Komgo is not only accelerating your digital trade finance journey, but also contributing to the broader modernization of our industry.
We’re proud to support ING in its journey toward greater efficiency, security, and innovation—and we look forward to continuing this partnership as the future of trade finance becomes increasingly connected and digital.
Tim-Emilien Tran Ngoc, Global Head of Business Development, Komgo
Tim has been with Komgo since its inception. He first joined as Product Owner and Program Manager before structuring the company’s professional services activities. He then took on global responsibilities across business development, communication, and marketing. With a background in consulting, Tim drives strategic partnerships, scales innovative trade finance solutions worldwide — and runs cool interviews along the way.
