A December gathering in Amsterdam is set to become a landmark moment for financial health policy, drawing heads of major institutions to address economic resilience across the European continent.
The Financial Health Network has confirmed that its inaugural European convening, EMERGE Europe, will take place on December 2, 2026, at the KIT Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam, drawing over 200 senior leaders.
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde and H.M. Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health, will both deliver remarks at the one-day event.
Queen Máxima’s role as UNSGSA places her at the center of global efforts to build more inclusive financial systems, a mission for which the Financial Health Network honored her with its Financial Health Visionary Award in 2021.
Additional confirmed speakers include Pinar Abay, global head of retail banking and management board member at ING Bank N.V., former Acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael Hsu, and Fair4All Finance CEO Kate Pender.
Five major financial institutions are backing the event as founding partners: ABN AMRO, ING, Lloyds Banking Group (NYSE: LYG), NatWest Group, and Rabobank, signaling substantial industry commitment to the initiative.
The convening is organized in collaboration with the Office of the UNSGSA and structured around the theme “Building Financial Health by Design: Improving Outcomes,” shaped directly by European market conditions and regulatory realities.
Sessions will address measuring financial health outcomes, responsible AI and innovation, public-private collaboration, product and policy design, and strengthening financial resilience for households and communities.
Jennifer Tescher, founder and CEO of the Financial Health Network, framed the event’s purpose around the fragmented nature of progress across the region, saying: “Much of that work is still happening market by market.”
Tescher added that “at a time when households and financial institutions alike are navigating significant economic change, financial health is increasingly connected to Europe’s broader resilience and competitiveness.”
EMERGE Europe extends a two-decade legacy from its American counterpart, which has long served as the leading cross-sector forum connecting financial services executives, fintech innovators, and researchers around measurable outcomes.
The Amsterdam event is designed not merely for dialogue but to accelerate collective action, helping institutions build shared evidence and translate insights into tangible improvements for customers across different European markets.
