Bio of Philippe J.S. De Brouwer

Philippe, an accomplished executive with three decades of experience in banking and asset management, currently serves as a director at HSBC’s European service centre. In this role, he oversees various risk management activities, including model governance, model review and infrastructure. His expertise lies in teamwork, leadership, big data, analytics, risk management, and investment advice.

During his pursuit of a second Master’s degree in Applied Economics, Philippe solved the "fallacy of large numbers puzzle," a conundrum proposed by P.A. Samuelson 38 years prior. His doctoral work led to the development of the "Maslowian Portfolio Theory," a significant breakthrough that challenged the long-standing assumptions of H. Markovitz’s Nobel Prize-winning "Mean Variance Theory," which had shaped investment suitability perceptions for over six decades. His contributions to the field have left a lasting impact on economic theory and practice.

Dr. Philippe J.S. De Brouwer is SVP and Lead of Academic Partnerships at HSBC Kraków, honorary consul of Belgium in Krakow, guest lecturer at AGH University of Science and Technology, University of Warsaw and University of Economics Kraków. He is also member of the board of trustees of the International School of Kraków, member of the Advisory Council of the Economic University of Kraków, and member of the University Council of AGH UST. His academic research is mainly in investment management, behavioural psychology, and data science.

In all his activities he aims to build bridges between the communities that he serves. He contributes by connecting the academic world with the industry and diplomacy. His newest book appeared in 2020 and is titled "The big R-book: from data science to learning machines and big data".

Dr. Philippe J.S. De Brouwer is a leader at the HSBC service centre in Krakow, where he spearheads expert teams and oversees Academic Partnerships. In addition to his role at HSBC, Philippe serves as the Honorary Consul for Belgium in Krakow and holds guest professorships at the University of Warsaw (UW), Jagiellonian University (UJ), and AGH University of Science and Technology (AGH).

Philippe's academic contributions extend beyond teaching. He holds positions on the board of the International School of Krakow, the supervisory board of AGH University, the patronage council of the Economic University (UEK), and various faculty advisory organs at AGH and UJ.

Philippe's academic journey began with a degree in theoretical physics. While working full-time, he pursued and obtained a second Master's degree. His academic prowess was demonstrated when he solved the "fallacy of large numbers puzzle," a problem posed by P.A. Samuelson that had remained unsolved for 38 years. His Ph.D. work involved challenging the assumptions of Markovitz's Nobel Prize-winning Mean Variance Portfolio Theory, leading to the creation of the "Maslowian Portfolio Theory."

Philippe's professional career spans various sectors, including insurance, banking, and investment management, with specializations ranging from IT and data science to risk analytics and people management.

At Fortis (now BNP), Philippe pioneered one of the first capital guaranteed funds in Belgium, earning him a promotion to director in 2000. He joined KBC in 2002, where he successfully merged four companies into one and ascended to the role of CEO of the newly formed entity in 2005. Under his leadership, the company rose from 11th to 5th in the market, despite a 50% increase in competition. Following the financial crisis, Philippe played a key role in establishing a new asset manager for KBC in Ireland, which soon managed approximately 1000 investment funds and had about 32 billion Euros under management.

In 2012, Philippe expanded his expertise by joining Risk Management, specializing in statistics and numerical methods. He later worked for the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), focusing on Big Data, analytics, and people management. In 2016, he joined HSBC and established a Centre of Excellence in Risk Management in their Krakow service centre. This centre is responsible for verifying the most important models used worldwide by the banking group.

Outside of his professional commitments, Philippe is a dedicated educator at AGH University of Science and Technology, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, and Warsaw University. He has taught a wide range of subjects, including finance, behavioural economics, decision-making, Big Data, bank management, structured finance, corporate banking, financial markets, financial instruments, team-building, and leadership. His data and analytics course, based on his latest book "The Big R-Book: from data science to learning machines and big data," is particularly noteworthy. Philippe's recent research interests include fairness in big data and pay fairness.

In all his activities he aims to build bridges between the communities that he serves. He contributes by connecting the academic world with the industry and diplomacy. His newest book appeared in 2020 and is titled "The big R-book: from data science to learning machines and big data".

Dr. Philippe J.S. De Brouwer is a distinguished leader at the HSBC service centre in Krakow, where he spearheads expert teams and oversees Academic Partnerships. In addition to his role at HSBC, Philippe serves as the Honorary Consul for Belgium in Krakow and holds guest professorships at the University of Warsaw (UW), Jagiellonian University (UJ), and AGH University of Science and Technology (AGH).

Philippe's academic contributions extend beyond teaching. He holds positions on the board of the International School of Krakow, the supervisory board of AGH University, the patronage council of the Economic University (UEK), and various faculty advisory organs at AGH and UJ.

Philippe's academic journey began with a degree in theoretical physics. While working full-time, he pursued and obtained a second Master's degree. His academic prowess was demonstrated when he solved the "fallacy of large numbers puzzle," a problem posed by P.A. Samuelson that had remained unsolved for 38 years. His Ph.D. work involved challenging the assumptions of Markovitz's Nobel Prize-winning Mean Variance Portfolio Theory, leading to the creation of the "Maslowian Portfolio Theory."

Philippe's professional career spans various sectors, including insurance, banking, and investment management, with specializations ranging from IT and data science to risk analytics and people management.

At Fortis (now BNP), Philippe pioneered one of the first capital guaranteed funds in Belgium, earning him a promotion to director in 2000. He joined KBC in 2002, where he successfully merged four companies into one and ascended to the role of CEO of the newly formed entity in 2005. Under his leadership, the company rose from 11th to 5th in the market, despite a 50% increase in competition. Following the financial crisis, Philippe played a key role in establishing a new asset manager for KBC in Ireland, which soon managed approximately 1000 investment funds and had about 32 billion Euros under management.

In 2012, Philippe expanded his expertise by joining Risk Management, specializing in statistics and numerical methods. He later worked for the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), focusing on Big Data, analytics, and people management. In 2016, he joined HSBC and established a Centre of Excellence in Risk Management in their Krakow service centre. This centre is responsible for verifying the most important models used worldwide by the banking group.

Outside of his professional commitments, Philippe is a dedicated educator at AGH University of Science and Technology, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, and Warsaw University. He has taught a wide range of subjects, including finance, behavioural economics, decision-making, Big Data, bank management, structured finance, corporate banking, financial markets, financial instruments, team-building, and leadership. His data and analytics course, based on his latest book "The Big R-Book: from data science to learning machines and big data," is particularly noteworthy. Philippe's recent research interests include fairness in big data and pay fairness.

For a more elaborate CV, please email Philippe or have a look at LinkedIn