Founder BinckBank en Brand New Day Bank
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Kalo Bagijn didn’t just found one, but two new banks in the Netherlands.
Bagijn, who grew up in Doorn, is someone who believes in hard work—but only if it’s something you're truly passionate about. And yes, a bit of luck helps too.

He began his career at IMG Holland as a stock trader. In 2000, together with Thierry Schaap, he founded the online investment bank BinckBank. Online stock trading wasn’t new, but their approach was.
At the time, banks typically charged a 1.5% transaction fee. BinckBank slashed that to just 0.1%. That move exposed how inflated the standard fees really were. They quickly became disruptors in the market and gained strong popularity with retail investors.

In 2009, Bagijn left BinckBank to start a new venture. Once again teaming up with Thierry Schaap, he launched Brand New Day Bank—an online pension insurer aimed at shaking up the shady world of overpriced, opaque insurance products in the Netherlands.

And just like with BinckBank, his strategy was simple: challenge the status quo by showing customers exactly how the traditional players were ripping them off with hidden and excessive fees.