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Arkadi Kuhlmann

Founder & CEO, ZenBanx, Inc., and Founder, ING Direct.

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Arkadi Kuhlmann Biography

The model of top-down corporate leadership is obsolete. Drawing on his influential work at ING Direct, rebel CEO Arkadi Kuhlmann offers a fully-realized vision of what he calls the culture-driven leadership—the rollicking new force behind bottom-line success. It's not leaders who drive business; it's the culture they create, and sustain, that drives it.

Arkadi Kuhlmann’s vocation and avocation have been to reinvent and revitalize consumers’ relationship with their money.

Arkadi introduced the world to direct banking with a simplified customer focus when he founded ING DIRECT Canada in 1996, creating the brand strategy and growing the bank during 1996-2000 to a successful market position while serving as the bank’s President and CEO. He repeated this process in 2000, founding ING DIRECT USA and as the bank’s Chairman, President and CEO led its growth to become the nation’s largest savings bank and number one direct bank, with more than $84 billion in deposits and 7.8 million customers. Arkadi’s customer focus led to fanatical loyalty and industry-leading customer promotion scores and branded him affectionately as the ‘CEO of Savings.’

Prior to ING DIRECT, Arkadi engineered an organizational and systems restructuring as the President of North American Trust. The execution of Arkadi’s tactical business plan along with new product development resulted in a transformation from a $10M operating loss to a $17M operating profit.

As President and CEO at Deak & Co. and Deak International (1985-1993), Arkadi restructured Deak International’s operations, launching a revitalized company in April 1986, and expanding the company from 52 to 192 branches and 350 to 1,500 employees worldwide, achieving revenues of $1B wholesale and $2.5B retail, and income of $70M. Arkadi oversaw the successful divestiture of Deak International in 1990.

From 1977-1984, Arkadi served as Vice President, General Manager and Manager of Royal Bank of Canada. Before that, he served briefly as a consultant for the banking industry and as an Assistant Director of the Institute of Canadian Bankers.

In addition to his corporate successes, Arkadi demonstrated his passion for teaching as a professor of International Finance and Investment Banking at the American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird) in Phoenix, Arizona. He shared his philosophy on leadership, culture and innovation by penning Rock then Roll: The Secrets of Culture-Driven Leadership and The Orange Code: How ING DIRECT Succeeded by Being a Rebel with a Cause, as well as several books on finance and numerous business cases. His thoughts on banking, leadership and innovation have appeared in major newspapers including the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and New York Times.

Arkadi received the Honors in Business Administration degree and an M.B.A. from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario, Canada and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) in 2010 and the Ivey Distinguished Service Award in 2007.

Arkadi was honored as American Banker’s 2006 Innovator of the Year and was the recipient of the ING Business Award (Revenue Growth Category) in 2005, Delaware Business Leader Award in 2006 and 2008, Habitat for Humanity Leadership Award in 2007, and was honored with the Council for Economic Education’s Visionary Award in 2010 for his life-long advocacy in teaching adults and children about responsible money behavior.

Speaking Topics
  • The Orange Code

    Following the immense success of ING Direct with his book The Orange Code: How ING Direct Succeeded by Being a Rebel with a Cause, Arkadi Kuhlmann is one of the world's leading experts on corporate culture as branding. ING Direct's message is clear: "save your money". They reflect this mantra in everything they do. If you build your company to stand for a purpose, customers will notice -• and they'll remain loyal. From advertisements, to product lines to turning away customers who do not fit their vision, ING Direct is a proven example of brand strength. Kuhlmann, with frank honesty and unrivaled experience, explains that a business can be so much more than just a provider of services. It can be an idea, a cause -• and a force.

  • Rock Then Roll: The Secrets of Culture-Driven Leadership

    In this talk, Arkadi Kuhlmann provides a roadmap to the new culture-driven business world. The traditional model of top-down corporate leadership is obsolete. In an interconnected and ever-changing marketplace, business creativity is now the driving force behind bottom-line success. Only by creating a unique business culture, says Kuhlmann, can you spur innovation and inspire leadership in everyone from C-level to entry level. How can you exploit the power of disruptive ideas? What are the true catalysts for creating leaders from within? How can you create--and most importantly, maintain--a unique business culture that attracts both customers and talent alike? Drawing from his experiences at ING Direct, Kuhlmann's message can help business people of all experience levels--from CEO's to start-up entrepreneurs--create their own culture to drive leadership, increase employee satisfaction and achieve business success.

FAQs
  • HOW TO BOOK Arkadi Kuhlmann?

    Our booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure talent like Arkadi Kuhlmann for both live and virtual events for over 15 years. The team at All American Entertainment represents and listens to the needs of organizations and corporations seeking to hire keynote speakers, celebrities or entertainers for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment. Fill out a booking request form for Arkadi Kuhlmann, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get pricing information and check availability for Arkadi Kuhlmann or any other celebrity of your choice.
  • HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO BOOK Arkadi Kuhlmann?

    Booking fees for Arkadi Kuhlmann, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. Pricing often varies between live and virtual events. Other factors that can affect speaker fees include the talent's schedule, market conditions, length of presentation, and the location of the event. The live and virtual event speaking fees listed on this website are intended to serve as a guideline only. In some cases, the actual quote may be above or below the stated range. For the most current fee to hire Arkadi Kuhlmann, please fill out the booking request form or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak with an experienced booking agent.
  • WHO IS THE AGENT FOR Arkadi Kuhlmann?

    All American Entertainment has successfully secured celebrity talent like Arkadi Kuhlmann for clients worldwide for more than 15 years. As a full-service talent booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Fill out the booking request form or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Arkadi Kuhlmann for your next private or corporate function.
  • WHAT IS A FULL-SERVICE TALENT BOOKING AGENCY?

    All American Speakers is a "buyers agent" and exclusively represents talent buyers, meeting planners and event professionals, who are looking to secure celebrities and speakers for personal appearances, speaking engagements, corporate entertainment, public relations campaigns, commercials, or endorsements. We do not exclusively represent Arkadi Kuhlmann or claim ourselves as the exclusive booking agency, business manager, publicist, speakers bureau or management for Arkadi Kuhlmann or any other speaker or celebrity on this website. For more information on how we work and what makes us unique, please read the AAE Advantage.
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This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

Founder & CEO, ZenBanx, Inc., and Founder, ING Direct.

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Arkadi Kuhlmann Biography

The model of top-down corporate leadership is obsolete. Drawing on his influential work at ING Direct, rebel CEO Arkadi Kuhlmann offers a fully-realized vision of what he calls the culture-driven leadership—the rollicking new force behind bottom-line success. It's not leaders who drive business; it's the culture they create, and sustain, that drives it.

Arkadi Kuhlmann’s vocation and avocation have been to reinvent and revitalize consumers’ relationship with their money.

Arkadi introduced the world to direct banking with a simplified customer focus when he founded ING DIRECT Canada in 1996, creating the brand strategy and growing the bank during 1996-2000 to a successful market position while serving as the bank’s President and CEO. He repeated this process in 2000, founding ING DIRECT USA and as the bank’s Chairman, President and CEO led its growth to become the nation’s largest savings bank and number one direct bank, with more than $84 billion in deposits and 7.8 million customers. Arkadi’s customer focus led to fanatical loyalty and industry-leading customer promotion scores and branded him affectionately as the ‘CEO of Savings.’

Prior to ING DIRECT, Arkadi engineered an organizational and systems restructuring as the President of North American Trust. The execution of Arkadi’s tactical business plan along with new product development resulted in a transformation from a $10M operating loss to a $17M operating profit.

As President and CEO at Deak & Co. and Deak International (1985-1993), Arkadi restructured Deak International’s operations, launching a revitalized company in April 1986, and expanding the company from 52 to 192 branches and 350 to 1,500 employees worldwide, achieving revenues of $1B wholesale and $2.5B retail, and income of $70M. Arkadi oversaw the successful divestiture of Deak International in 1990.

From 1977-1984, Arkadi served as Vice President, General Manager and Manager of Royal Bank of Canada. Before that, he served briefly as a consultant for the banking industry and as an Assistant Director of the Institute of Canadian Bankers.

In addition to his corporate successes, Arkadi demonstrated his passion for teaching as a professor of International Finance and Investment Banking at the American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird) in Phoenix, Arizona. He shared his philosophy on leadership, culture and innovation by penning Rock then Roll: The Secrets of Culture-Driven Leadership and The Orange Code: How ING DIRECT Succeeded by Being a Rebel with a Cause, as well as several books on finance and numerous business cases. His thoughts on banking, leadership and innovation have appeared in major newspapers including the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and New York Times.

Arkadi received the Honors in Business Administration degree and an M.B.A. from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario, Canada and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) in 2010 and the Ivey Distinguished Service Award in 2007.

Arkadi was honored as American Banker’s 2006 Innovator of the Year and was the recipient of the ING Business Award (Revenue Growth Category) in 2005, Delaware Business Leader Award in 2006 and 2008, Habitat for Humanity Leadership Award in 2007, and was honored with the Council for Economic Education’s Visionary Award in 2010 for his life-long advocacy in teaching adults and children about responsible money behavior.

Arkadi Kuhlmann Speaking Topics

  • The Orange Code

    Following the immense success of ING Direct with his book The Orange Code: How ING Direct Succeeded by Being a Rebel with a Cause, Arkadi Kuhlmann is one of the world's leading experts on corporate culture as branding. ING Direct's message is clear: "save your money". They reflect this mantra in everything they do. If you build your company to stand for a purpose, customers will notice -• and they'll remain loyal. From advertisements, to product lines to turning away customers who do not fit their vision, ING Direct is a proven example of brand strength. Kuhlmann, with frank honesty and unrivaled experience, explains that a business can be so much more than just a provider of services. It can be an idea, a cause -• and a force.

  • Rock Then Roll: The Secrets of Culture-Driven Leadership

    In this talk, Arkadi Kuhlmann provides a roadmap to the new culture-driven business world. The traditional model of top-down corporate leadership is obsolete. In an interconnected and ever-changing marketplace, business creativity is now the driving force behind bottom-line success. Only by creating a unique business culture, says Kuhlmann, can you spur innovation and inspire leadership in everyone from C-level to entry level. How can you exploit the power of disruptive ideas? What are the true catalysts for creating leaders from within? How can you create--and most importantly, maintain--a unique business culture that attracts both customers and talent alike? Drawing from his experiences at ING Direct, Kuhlmann's message can help business people of all experience levels--from CEO's to start-up entrepreneurs--create their own culture to drive leadership, increase employee satisfaction and achieve business success.

FAQs on booking Arkadi Kuhlmann

  • How to book Arkadi Kuhlmann?

    Our booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure talent like Arkadi Kuhlmann for both live and virtual events for over 20 years. The team at All American Entertainment represents and listens to the needs of organizations and corporations seeking to hire keynote speakers, celebrities or entertainers for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment. Fill out a booking request form for Arkadi Kuhlmann, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get pricing information and check availability for Arkadi Kuhlmann or any other celebrity of your choice.
  • How much does it cost to book Arkadi Kuhlmann?

    Booking fees for Arkadi Kuhlmann, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. Pricing often varies between live and virtual events. Other factors that can affect speaker fees include the talent's schedule, market conditions, length of presentation, and the location of the event. The live and virtual event speaking fees listed on this website are intended to serve as a guideline only. In some cases, the actual quote may be above or below the stated range. For the most current fee to hire Arkadi Kuhlmann, please fill out the booking request form or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak with an experienced booking agent.
  • Who is the agent for Arkadi Kuhlmann?

    All American Entertainment has successfully secured celebrity talent like Arkadi Kuhlmann for clients worldwide for more than 20 years. As a full-service talent booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Fill out the booking request form or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Arkadi Kuhlmann for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service talent booking agency?

    All American Speakers is a "buyers agent" and exclusively represents talent buyers, meeting planners and event professionals, who are looking to secure celebrities and speakers for personal appearances, speaking engagements, corporate entertainment, public relations campaigns, commercials, or endorsements. We do not exclusively represent Arkadi Kuhlmann or claim ourselves as the exclusive booking agency, business manager, publicist, speakers bureau or management for Arkadi Kuhlmann or any other speaker or celebrity on this website. For more information on how we work and what makes us unique, please read the AAE Advantage.

Arkadi Kuhlmann is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as The Orange Code and Rock Then Roll: The Secrets of Culture-Driven Leadership. The estimated speaking fee range to book Arkadi Kuhlmann for your event is $30,000 - $50,000. Arkadi Kuhlmann generally travels from and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Jessica W.Y. Lui, Laurie Coe, Filippo Veglio, Federico Merlo and Rodney Irwin. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Arkadi Kuhlmann for an upcoming live or virtual event.

Arkadi Kuhlmann Speaking Topics

  • The Orange Code

    Following the immense success of ING Direct with his book The Orange Code: How ING Direct Succeeded by Being a Rebel with a Cause, Arkadi Kuhlmann is one of the world's leading experts on corporate culture as branding. ING Direct's message is clear: "save your money". They reflect this mantra in everything they do. If you build your company to stand for a purpose, customers will notice -• and they'll remain loyal. From advertisements, to product lines to turning away customers who do not fit their vision, ING Direct is a proven example of brand strength. Kuhlmann, with frank honesty and unrivaled experience, explains that a business can be so much more than just a provider of services. It can be an idea, a cause -• and a force.

  • Rock Then Roll: The Secrets of Culture-Driven Leadership

    In this talk, Arkadi Kuhlmann provides a roadmap to the new culture-driven business world. The traditional model of top-down corporate leadership is obsolete. In an interconnected and ever-changing marketplace, business creativity is now the driving force behind bottom-line success. Only by creating a unique business culture, says Kuhlmann, can you spur innovation and inspire leadership in everyone from C-level to entry level. How can you exploit the power of disruptive ideas? What are the true catalysts for creating leaders from within? How can you create--and most importantly, maintain--a unique business culture that attracts both customers and talent alike? Drawing from his experiences at ING Direct, Kuhlmann's message can help business people of all experience levels--from CEO's to start-up entrepreneurs--create their own culture to drive leadership, increase employee satisfaction and achieve business success.

Tell us about your event!

During normal business hours, we respond to most inquiries within 4 hours.

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Speakers Similar to Arkadi Kuhlmann

This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

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The 2022 Speaking Industry Benchmark Report