band
Issue 11/August 24, 1992
up the bank's own network was the next
stage. 'In setting up its network of foreign of
fices Rabobank, as it were, followed its cus-
tomers abroad. So it was certainly not by
chance that our first foreign office was
opened in New York in 1981', said Van Slin-
gelandt looking back at the past. By nowthat
network has developed into a group of thirty-
five Rabobank offices.
Cooperation As a result of the increas-
ing internationalization of business and the
economie integration in Europe, customers'
requirements have become so high that it
was actually impossible to make do with a
network of thirty-five offices. Customers ex-
pect Rabobank to be at the place where they
perform their transactions and want infor-
mation about local conditions. Van Slinge-
landt: 'That partly explains why we have de-
cided to enter into strategie partnerships
with well-known foreign banks in Europe who
have an extensive network of branches avail-
able, together with a sound knowledge of
customers. In addition, the local Rabobanks
in the Netherlands are standing by to help
the customers of the alliance partners with
their local know-how.
Belgium and Germany Van Slingelandt
admitted at the European Policy Days that
there were still clearly two blank areas to be
seen on the European map of Rabobank. In
the neighbouring countries of Belgium and
Germany no alliance has been concluded as
yet. He announced that cooperative agree-
ments would shortly be entered into in these
countries too - the two main trading part
ners of the Netherlands. The bank does,
however, have its own branches in these
countries.
Twin-track policy The alliances en-
able Rabobank to shape its foreign policy ef-
fectively. In fact, there are now two tracks.
On the one hand, there are the bank's own
branches abroad and, in addition, the
branches of the alliance partners. Optimum
coverage of a country is thus available to the
A fully fledged European policy was presented to the local banks at the European Policy Days.
the local markets. The partnership concept
must be seen as an addition to our foreign
offices.' Rabobank customers are not only
active in London, Milan, Paris and Madrid, of
course. The branches of our partner banks
are extremely suitable for giving customers
at other, smaller locations optimum informa-
tion and providing the services they require.
Alliance partners From 1988 on-
wards, Rabobank has therefore established
strategie alliances with partner banks
abroad. Cooperative agreements have
successively been concluded with Banco
Popular in Spain, Crédit Agricole in France,
Lloyds Bank in Great Britain, Cariplo in Italy
and the Raiffeissen Zentralbank in Austria.
This group is expected to be further ex-
tended this year.
Branches The fact that these partners
are indeed a welcome addition to the bank's
own branches is clearfrom a calculation Van
Slingelandt made for Rabobank managers.
In the Europe without frontiers Rabobank
has 18 offices with some 460 employees. If
the branches of the alliance partners are in-
cluded, the map of Europe shows a much
denser network of local banks. In total, the
doors of over 15,000 banks (with some
200,000 employees) are open to Rabobank
customer. Depending on the type of service
requested and the location of the activity, it
is decided whether the Rabobank branch in
one country or a partner bank will deal
with it.
Offensive Rabobank's twin-track pol
icy is very useful from the viewpoint of de-
fence. 'If we refer our customers to the al
liance partners, the relationship with the
customer is fully maintained', opined Van
Slingelandt. But Rabobank's international
policy also offers points of contact from the
offensive viewpoint. It can supply services
to the Dutch businessman abroad at the
location where he is active. As a result, the
bank can also approach the demand for
international services offensively.
Image Research has shown, however,
that only 40 percent of the Rabobank's cus
tomers in the Netherlands think it is a bank
to do international business with. Executive
Board member Paul Burghouts expressed
the view that quite a few local Rabobanks do
very little by way of international services.
'Since it relatively seldom happens, we think
we can't do it well. We also convey that im-
pression to our customers', he added. This
explains the mistaken image of a bank that
is lagging behind.
Convinced Rabobank bases its policy
on what the Dutch customer asks for: 'Sup-
porting domestic business with interna
tional services.' Ifthe best way to help busi-
nessmen is to follow a twin-track policy - our
own offices and strategie alliances - the
bank does that. It is not a question of having
as many of our own offices as possible, but
of supplying optimum international services.
By now, Rabobank has its own fully-fledged
foreign business. The International Division
convinced the bank managers present at the
Floriade of that fact.
Customers Nevertheless, the Division
is aware that it still has to convince Rabo
bank's customers. The bank must teil them
that it can supply optimum services in
Europe. The Floriade is, of course, an ideal
platform for that message. There the Dutch
horticultural industry tells the world what it
has to offer. And Rabobank also told what it
has to offer internationally, for on 26 and 27
May an event which generated great interest
was organized for Rabobank customers
under the title 'Doing business in the Euro
pean Free Market.'
Changes EC Commissioners Frans
Andriessen and Sir Leon Brittan gave their
views of the consequences of European
integration in a video presentation. They
pointed out to the over 450 Rabobank cus
tomers present the opportunities this will
create for Dutch business and industry. Pro
fessor Idenburg of the University of Twente
stated that businesses will have to adjust
their policies in line with these changing cir-
cumstances. Next, Executive Board mem-
bers Henk Visser and Frank Schreve spoke
about a number of competitive weapons
available to medium-sized and small Dutch
companies. In the afternoon, businessmen
could find out about a number of practical
subjects by attending workshops. These in-
cluded Rabobank's European policy, product
liability in a European context, doing busi
ness with Eastern Europe and choosing a
trading partner abroad.
Visitors were also able to get informa-
tion about various products and services of
Rabobank at a number of stands during the
event. Representatives of the bank's Euro
pean branches and of the alliance partners
in the various countries were also present.
The bank's customers could therefore make
acquaintance with its twin-track policy at
first hand. Specific questions were dealt
with by the persons who give actual shape to
the bank's European policy. The conclusion
is that the Floriade is the visiting card for
tourism in the Netherlands. The meetings of
the International Division fulfilled the same
rolefor Rabobank's European policy. Both are
flourishing with increasing vigour.
Rabobank also presented its international visit
ing card to its customers at the Floriade.
