ING DIRECT CEO Hosts Book Signing at New Cafe in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- ING DIRECT USA, the nation's largest direct bank, wants to give San Francisco a place for Savers to sip, socialize and save their money. On Thursday, December 29 from 2:00-6:00pm, ING DIRECT's President and CEO, Arkadi Kuhlmann, will visit the new ING DIRECT Cafe to sign his latest book, Rock then Roll and open the Cafe doors for San Franciscans to get the first look at 101 Post Street.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110825/NE58106LOGO )

"When ING DIRECT announced our plans last spring for the San Francisco Cafe, we aimed to make it a place of innovation and community," said Arkadi Kuhlmann, President and CEO of ING DIRECT.  "On December 29 we open the doors for local ING DIRECT Customers to tour the Cafe space, meet some fellow savers for a conversation and head into the New Year with saving resolutions."

On hand to discuss his new book on leadership, Kuhlmann will be signing copies of Rock then Roll, and spending time with Customers visiting the new Cafe. The material for his book originated from daily "leadership" messages to ING DIRECT Associates and is based on topics ranging from innovation, management, and communication, to commitment, brand values, and navigating life.

Designed to educate, inspire and share the financial responsibility values of ING DIRECT, the new San Francisco location is an ideal place for Kuhlmann to meet with locals and offer a first glimpse of the most recent addition to the city's Union Square neighborhood.

The location, on the corner of Post and Kearny Streets, is a collaboration of design and construction with Pompei A.D. supporting ING DIRECT's vision and layout. As a creative partner on the Cafe, Pompei A.D. created a new design to highlight the aesthetic and the industrial nature of the city. The natural materials along with dark steel make the Cafe a perfect destination for the San Francisco community. It will also serve as a location for community meetings and events.

"Using our design philosophy of C3 which integrates commerce, culture and community, we created a new design ethos customized for ING DIRECT," said Ron Pompei, founder, Pompei A.D. "Our goal was to have a destination where city residents could use the Cafe as an innovative meeting and event space for local consumer, lifestyle, arts, social and non-profit organizations."

ING DIRECT USA's Cafes are currently located in New York City; Philadelphia; Chicago; Los Angeles; Honolulu; Wilmington, Delaware; and St. Cloud, Minnesota.

About ING DIRECT USA
ING DIRECT, the nation's largest direct bank and largest thrift, is dedicated to inspiring Americans to become a nation of savers. Since its inception in 2000, more than 7.6 million Americans have entrusted their savings with ING DIRECT, building the bank to $91.3 billion in assets.  ING DIRECT has developed a comprehensive social media Savers Community, including Twitter, Facebook and it's We, The Savers blog.  For more information about ING DIRECT call 1-800-ING-DIRECT, and for information about its commitment to financial education visit Planet Orange. 

Style note to Editors: ING DIRECT is always capitalized and never referred to as ING.

About Pompei A.D.
Pompei A.D. is a creative, multidisciplinary design and branding firm that brings a unique blend of expertise to preeminent retail brands throughout the U.S and internationally.  For the past 20+ years, the Manhattan-based firm has been creating and defining brands for prominent clientele such as ING DIRECT, C. Wonder, Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, Free People, Disney Stores, Discovery Stores, Levi's, L'Oreal, Monsoon, Coca-Cola, M&M's World, LoveSac, The Art of Shaving, and others.  The company was founded in 1990 by Ron Pompei, who pioneered the concept of a "transformative environment" that impacts the user not only on a physical level, but emotionally and intellectually as well. This concept is embodied in Pompei A.D.'s "C3" philosophy, which integrates Commerce, Culture, and Community into the design and brand experience.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Laura DiLello, ING DIRECT
215.982.0200
[email protected]

SOURCE ING DIRECT