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Arkadi Kuhlmann & Bruce Philp: "The Orange Code" | Talks at Google

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• published: 12 Jan 2009
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The Authors@Google program welcomed Arkadi Kuhlmann and his co-author Bruce Philp to Google's New York office to discuss their book, "The Orange Code: How ING Direct Succeeded by Being a Rebel with a Cause". Arkadi Kuhlmann is the Chairman, President and CEO of ING DIRECT USA, the retail bank that offers simple financial products direct to consumers. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, ING DIRECT USA is part of ING Group of the Netherlands, one of the world's largest financial services institutions, where he serves as a member of the General Management of ING DIRECT NV, a member of ING DIRECT NV Supervisory Board, and a member of the ING Group Leadership Council. He joined ING in June 1996 as President and CEO to start up the ING Direct initiative in Canada. Bruce Philp is founder and CEO of GWP Brand Engineering, ING Direct's branding agency of record since its beginning. "Since 1996, ING Direct has grown from a mere concept to an ocean-spanning global enterprise, with over 20 million customers and more than $300 billion in assets. From the time this Internet-based direct bank first launched in Canada, it focused on serving ordinary people who felt abandoned by today's money hungry financial institutions and provided its customers with products they actually wanted--like savings accounts with high interest rates. This revolutionary idea was startling in its simplicity. The Orange Code recounts ING Direct's intriguing story, explaining the philosophy of its founder, Arkadi Kuhlmann, the "bad boy of banking," who fervently believes in the power of individuals to control their financial destiny, and his 12-year partnership with Bruce Philp, the branding consultant who helped Kuhlmann make ING Direct a cause to its own people and a household name across North America. In entertaining and inspiring style, Kuhlmann and Philp discuss the unconventional approach to business strategy, leadership, and management that built ING Direct. From refusing to promote credit cards to college students to pointing out frivolous expenses, Kuhlmann and Philp not only address the practical principles that have propelled ING Direct to the top, but they also help readers understand how making a cause of personal financial empowerment made everyone a winner in the ING Direct story. Engaging and informative, The Orange Code offers readers a rare look at this company and provides them with invaluable insights into making more inspired leadership decisions." This event took place on November 25, 2008.