Karin holds a degree in Political and Social Sciences from the University of Ghent and an MBA from the Ruca in Antwerp. Next, she also holds a degree from the Vlerick Business School and a degree from the Insead in Paris.

With 25 years of experience in various domains within an integrated bank-insurance group, Karin Van Hoecke gained valuable knowledge, a large network, and a passion for banking & innovation. Within the group strategy advisors' team, she closely cooperated with top management. Karin brought a vision how KBC can interact with their clients in a more digital world, and which tools, structure and change is needed to also be the reference in a hybrid, client-centric bank-insurer.

Since November 2021, Karin was a member of the management committee KBC Belgium, responsible for the further transformation/innovation & for data in KBC Belgium.

In 2024, Karin was voted Chief Digital Officer of the Year in Belgium. She was lauded for her leadership and the impact of the KBC mobile app and especially the AI-agent Kate. Karin’s pioneering role has been recognized globally. In November 2023 won the Women in Technology Award at the Banking Tech Awards in London.