Ellen Van Acker – Passionate Leader Empowering Women to Rise and Excel
Welcome to my personal website!
I was born in Belgium in 1983 and relocated to the Netherlands after completing my graduation in 2006 where my corporate career started in the financial industry. I live in the Netherlands with my loving husband, two children and a not so friendly cat.
Since the beginning of my career I have been interested in leadership. I started in front and mid office positions and with five years of experience under my belt, I transitions into a leadership roles, spearheading teams and driving impactful change. The common thread in my career lies in improving (online) customer experiences while creating efficiencies, with a focus on people and change management. I am currently heading around 300 employees in 20 countries, as Global Head of Operations within ING’s Wholesale Banking for Payments and Working Capital Solutions.
In my perspective, the role of leadership is to provide guidance, empower individuals, and enable them to perform at their best by removing obstacles and fostering their development. Over the years, I’ve embraced this responsibility in various roles, across different domains. Servant leadership resonates deeply with me, and I continually strive to grow and refine my own leadership approach.
I thrive in dynamic environments that foster innovation and continuous learning. I am always seeking ways to improve processes and outcomes. What brings me the greatest fulfillment is collaborating with teams to define a clear direction and structure that allows each member to contribute their unique strengths. I take pride in removing obstacles, coaching my team through challenges, and adapting our approach to accelerate progress and achieve our shared goals.
At the core of my mission is empowering women to rise and thrive, leveraging their strengths and authenticity. To further this goal, I began sharing my insights online in early 2022. I started writing blogs, developed a successful online training that enabled around 1400 people to find and get their dream job and became a certified executive coach through the International Coaching Federation. I joined The House of Growth as growth partner and started hosting my podcast ‘De Groeizoekers’ (translated: Growth Seekers), where I interview different experts with the intend to inspire a broad audience with their experience and growth path.
In 2023, I founded Ellemonte (French for ‘she rises’), my company dedicated to empowering women in their professional journeys. I introduced a free ebook “4 Key Things All Ambitious Women in Corporates Should Do to Achieve Their Ambitions” and am preparing to launch the Female Leadership Accelerator in September 2023.
If you have any questions or requests, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Stay connected with me on Linkedin or Instagram for regular updates and inspiring content.
Relevant certifications and education
Msc, HUB, Certified by International Coach Federation (level 1 and 2 ACC), Executive program Sales Management Nyenrode, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Purpose to Impact from Core Leadership Institute, Search Inside yourself from Leadership Institute, Communication for Excellence by How Company, Insight in Influence by Zuidema, Project Management by de Baak Management Centre and several other leadership trainings.