Belfius has handed its trade finance business to someone who has been with the bank for under a year. Laurianne Bouchart, who joined in November 2025 as head of sales for trade finance, is now head of trade finance. She reports to Koen Vierendeels, head of transaction banking.
Her route here is unusual. Before Belfius, she was commercial director for trade credit insurance and debt collection at Coface. Earlier she spent 14 years at BNP Paribas, including a stint as head of sales for global trade solutions in Belgium, and seven years at CBC Banque & Assurance, the francophone branch of KBC.
“Trade finance is much more than a business to me, it is a genuine passion,” Bouchart said. “Together, I’m confident we can achieve great things for the future of trade finance, while continuing to deliver the highest level of support and value to our clients.”
The report does not say who held the role before her or why it changed hands.
Digital Trade Outlook’s View: Insurance Experience at a Bank
Bouchart has seen trade from the bank’s side and the credit insurer’s, the two parties that share much of the risk in the market. That matters while the global trade finance gap keeps widening. Belfius is not alone in naming a new trade head, as the Burgan Bank Türkiye appointment showed earlier this year. Her short time at the bank also suggests Belfius preferred a promotion to an outside hire.
Related on Digital Trade Outlook
- Structured Trade Finance Moves Into Focus as Global Trade Slows
- African Banks Expand as Global Lenders Retreat from Trade Finance
- Trade Finance Is Moving Toward Liquidity and Working Capital Efficiency