SJU
Raibo and ANEC,
a strategie
alliance
Issue 9/Mei 27, 1991
band
Great interest
in trade mission
to Germany
Locations
investigated
in all corners
of the world
Hong Kong
Branch officially
opened
JUÜT
DFL in Sydney
Private
Bankers'
meeting
One of the services
provided by Raibobank do
Brasil is called Raibodoc. This
documentary coflection serv
ice is of particular interest to
the Braziiian exporters who, in
view of the high interest rates
in the country, like to receive
payments as quickly as pos-
sible.
Some time ago Raibobank, to-
gether with the Braziiian Asso-
ciation of Cereal Exporters
(ANEC), organized a seminar
aimed at promoting the Cash
against Documents service.
One of the speakers was Joop
Piek, commercial manager of
Rabobank Nederland's Rotter
dam branch. As a result ANEC
and Raibobank agreed to form
a strategie alliance which wiil
benefit both parties. Raibodoc
has proved to be an effective
stepping stone to other serv
ices such as pre-export finan-
cing, the confirmation of Let
ters of Credit and bank guaran-
tees, issued mainly in favour of
Dutch customs authorities in
Rotterdam.
Over 700 businessmen and
account managers of iocal
Rabobanks attended the
theme afternoons on 'Doing
business with the 'new'
Germany' at the end of March.
On the first day, the emphasis
was on the opportunities for
trade, while the second day
concentrated mainly on invest-
ment. In addition to talks by ex-
ternal experts, Peter Berns,
manager of ADCA-BANK in Ber-
lin, told the participants about
the significance of Rabobank in
Germany. Trade contact and
fact-finding trips to the former
East Germany, which wiil take
place at the end of May, were
announced at the meetings.
Among other things, the partici
pants in these trips wiil visit
ADCA-BANK in Leipzig and Ber-
lin.
Tailor-made programmes wiil
be offered to those interested
in a particular branch of indus-
try or business.
An investigation into
Greece as a possible location
for Rabobank was recently
completed with positive re-
sults. Investigations are cur-
rently in progress in Mexico
and Thailand.
The Foreign Offices Department
in Utrecht is examining the
opportunities for the Rabobank
Group in all kinds of countries
scattered throughout the world.
Cees van Rest, one of the
investigators, says: 'North and
South America have plans for
more extensive cooperation.
President Bush is personally
strongly in favour of this. Many
American companies have
already set up in business in
Mexico in the last five years. All
this led our branch in New York
and our office in Sao Paulo to
ask us to make an investigation
of Mexico as a possible
location. We are at present
working on this. In view of the
Iocal regulations, a presence
can only be achieved there in
the form of a representative
office for the time being.'
Promising economie growth is
aiso taking place in South East
Asia. Van Rest: 'Indonesia, Ma-
laysia, Thailand and Singapore
are the strong growers there.
We are investigating whether we
would like to have a presence in
Thailand, in addition to our
operations in Indonesia and our
branch in Singapore. The
investigation is almost com
plete. Just as in Mexico, we can
only open a representative
office there as a result of Iocal
laws. It wiil shortly be decided
whether we wiil, in fact, do that.'
Rabobank's branch in Hong
Kong was officially opened on
21 and 22 January. It was
initially intended that the
complete Board of Directors
and several members of the
Executive Board of Rabobank
Nederland should be present
on this occasion.
Thejourney was canceiled, how-
ever, as a result of the crisis
in the Gulf. Only Executive
Board member Henk Visser,
and the head of the Interna
tional Division, Rik van Slinge-
landt, finally made thejourney.
They were present at the of
ficial festivities. 450 represen-
tatives of the Hong Kong finan-
cial world attended the festive
reception. Visser also took ad-
vantage of the opportunity to
find out personally about the
latest developments in China.
'Just as in other financial
centres, Sydney too has its
Dutch Financial Luncheon
meetings. There, Dutch-speak-
ing general managers or finan
cial managers of Australian
companies with a Dutch
background meet each other
about six times a year.' So
says Jos van Boxel, head of
the Rabobank representative
office in Australia and DFL
convener.
The DFL group has about thirty-
five members. Van Boxel: They
represent companies such as
KLM, Philips, Van Ommeren,
Hagemeyer, ABN AMRO, Ned-
Lloyd and - a recent newcomer -
Rodamco. The diplomatic corps
also takes part in the meet
ings. The lunches are organ
ized by members of the DFL
group who have a guest visitor,
generally from their head of
fice, and who want to say
something about an economie,
politica! or cultural subject dur
ing the lunch.' Van Boxel is
looking for speakers. 'Various
Australian companies such as
TNT and Brambles have Dutch
board members who regulariy
visit Sydney. They are already
on the list for future meetings.
If there are any colleagues who
know people who visit Sydney
from time to time they should
let me know.'
A Private Bankers' meeting
was held in Utrecht at the
start of this year. It brought
together the general man
agers of Rabobank's foreign-
based offices which concen-
trate strongly on investment
management and advising
private customers.
The banks engaged in private
banking are Rabobank Asia in
Singapore, Rabolnvest Man
agement in Switzerland, ADCA-
BANK in Germany, and the
foreign offices in Luxembourg,
Antwerp, Hong Kong and
Curagao. International private
banking is a fairly new product
in the Rabobank Group. The
meeting was therefore intend
ed to define the basic condi-
tions for further developments
and make agreements about a
joint approach.
The conciusions of this meet
ing wiil be discussed at the
general managers' meeting in
June.
