What are the most significant cases, projects and/or transactions that you and/or your legal team have recently been involved in?

Together with my team, I have coordinated and/or contributed to a range of initiatives that have made banking simpler, safer, and more inclusive for our clients and colleagues:

Coordinated the legal aspects of implementing ING’s generative AI-powered chatbot in Home’Bank. This solution leverages advanced language models to provide instant, accurate answers to clients’ daily banking questions, while ensuring compliance, data protection, and a seamless transition to human agents when needed. The project has set a new benchmark for digital customer service in Romanian banking.

Coordinated the legal aspects for the implementation of RoPay, the national instant payment service that allows ING clients to make real-time RON payments directly from the Home’Bank app—by scanning a QR code, using a phone number, or other digital methods. RoPay is a major step forward for digital payments in Romania, offering a secure, fast, and user-friendly alternative to cash or card.

A major focus has been the implementation of the European Accessibility Act and national requirements—adapting digital platforms, updating contracts, and making physical branches and ATMs accessible—achieved in close collaboration with project teams. All communications and documents now meet B2 language standards. This project truly transformed accessibility from a legal obligation into a strategic differentiator for ING.

Provided legal coordination for several major transactions and projects, including the simplification and digitalisation of onboarding and credit processes for business clients.

Oversaw the legal aspects of the digital transformation of consumer and mortgage loans, setting new benchmarks for digital lending in Romania.

In my capacity as President of the ARB (Association of Romanian Banks) Legal Affairs Committee, I drove industry-wide awareness and education on fraud-related litigation, especially phishing cases.

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crisis to ensure the organisation’s resilience?

Legal has always played a central role in ING’s resilience efforts, and my approach remains rooted in continuity and collaboration. As Head of Legal, I’m part of the Crisis Management Team, where I provide clear, timely legal input to support fast, coordinated decisions—especially when safety, regulatory response, and critical services are at stake.

We’ve built strong foundations over the years, and we continue to evolve. Today, Legal is deeply embedded in operational resilience processes—from scenario planning and impact tolerance to regulatory incident reporting and business continuity. My focus is to ensure legal advice remains practical, forward-looking, and aligned with the organisation’s ability to adapt and respond—without losing sight of our customers, our people, or our obligations.

Based on your experiences in the past year, are there any trends in the legal or business world that you are keeping an eye on that you think other in-house lawyers should be mindful of?

This year, I’m closely watching three trends:

The rapid evolution of AI use in banking and the need for robust governance around data, ethics, and liability.

The increasing digital integration between financial institutions and public databases, to enhance onboarding, compliance, and fraud prevention.

A noticeable increase in sophisticated fraud attempts—especially phishing, investment scams, and social engineering—which requires Legal to work closely with anti-fraud, IT, and business teams to strengthen prevention, raise awareness, and respond quickly to incidents.

Staying ahead means being proactive, collaborative, and ready to adapt as risks and regulations evolve.

How can general counsel foster a corporate culture that supports ESG principles and compliance across all levels of the organisation?

Our focus is on embedding ESG into the organisation’s legal DNA—not just through policies, but by shaping behaviours. That means being involved early in strategic decisions, translating ESG commitments into clear contractual terms, and helping the business navigate regulatory risks such as greenwashing.

We’ve built internal legal forums and playbooks across ING to support ESG compliance, and we collaborate across functions to ensure sustainability is not just a goal, but a shared responsibility. Legal’s role is to guide, challenge, and enable—so ESG becomes part of how we think, act, and grow.