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lie year ahead
Marketing update
Holland
happening
Forecast 1993
Issue 14/January 25, 1993
In his traditional New Year
address to staff, Rabobank
chairman Herman Wijffels re-
viewed the bank's perform
ance in 1992 and looked
ahead to 1993.
In spite of a stagnating nation-
al economy, the Rabobank
achieved a relatively high
growth in its domestic oper-
ations last year. However, in his
New Year address, Chairman
Herman Wijffels was fairly som-
bre about prospects for 1993.
'We have to be prepared for a
year which in economie terms
will show a further slide into re
cession,' he said. 'I think we
have to continue our attempts
to reduce costs wherever pos-
sible and to increase our as-
sets considerably through fo
cussing on products which gen-
erate commission. The further
development of Allfinanz prod
ucts, which are often commis
sion products, is very impor
tant.'
On an international level, Wijf
fels believes that the invest-
ments made over the past de
cade should be further utilized.
The Marketing Services
Department has now publish-
ed the first two brochures in
a series designed for use by
the international offices and
branches.
The Directory Banking Sector
Chairman Herman Wijffels - emphasizing the further improvement of
profitability of the foreign offices.
'We now have our own network
throughoutthe world and a num-
ber of alliances with foreign
banks. We see 1993 as char-
acterized by utilizing these
operations and cooperations to
the full. In the short term, we
is a simple, accessible guide to
who's who in the various divi-
sions in Utrecht and includes
direct-dial telephone numbers.
The International Network
guide lists all the offices and
branches abroad with full
postal addresses and telecom-
munications numbers. Other
are not thinking of strong
growth in the number of offices
or the finalization of new alli
ances. The emphasis will be on
the further improvement of prof
itability of our activities in this
area.'
brochures and marketing tools
are currently in press and a fol
der and leaflets on trust will be
appearing in the near future.
For more information, please
contact the Marketing Ser
vices Department in Utrecht on
+31 30 904983 or by fax on
+31 30 901976.
From January 1, the bank
ing sector of the EC has been
fully liberalized and the insur-
ance sector partially. Banks
and insurance companies which
have a iicence to operate in
their home countries may now
open offices in all of the EC
countries. The European Com-
munity has laid down norms to
determine credit-worthiness of
banks. The central automa-
tion service, the internal facility
which advises on computeriz-
ation, central data processing
and telecommunications, has
become independent. The ser
vice became a limited company
on January 1 under the name
Facet. The new company em-
ploys almost 500 people and
will administer and maintain
the central computers and the
Rabobank Terminal Network
(RTN). The RTN, the Rabo orga-
nization's private computer
For the fifth year in succes
sion, the Rabobank has pro-
duced its indepth overview of
the present economie situ-
ation worldwide and fore-
casted developements for the
coming year.
In Forecast 1993, the bank out-
lines its view of the year ahead
and provides insight into devel
opment aspects it believes will
characterize the world's econ-
omies in the coming 12 months.
Designed to inform institutional
investors and major corporate
clients, it comprises sections
on global geographic regions,
the Netherlands, EC economie
and monetary integration and
risk-control in off-balance prod
ucts. Of especial importance
is the bank's view of interest-
rate developments in 1993. For
example, its forecast for DM/
NLG interest- rate trends shows
a flat yield curve in mid-year,
balancing our at around 7 per
cent and remaining stable at
least until year-end.
The overview appears in Dutch
and English and, according to
financial markets research
manager Bernard Walschots,
has already been sent to those
foreign offices which requested
inclusion in his department's
mailing list. However, not all in
ternational offices have made
this request, so they may not
have received Forecast 1993.
Any office which would like a
copy should contact Walschots
in Utrecht on +31 30 903497.
network has links to all member
banks, the central computers
and the bank's cash dispen
sers. The corporate financing
advisory services for member
banks has begun a pilot project
to test 'teleworking'. One of its
staffers, Frans Hendrickx, has
been equipped with a PC, tele
fax and photocopier and will be
doing most of his work at
home. His job, bad loans work-
out officer, is considered ideal-
ly suited to 'teleworking'. In
March this year, the third annu-
al Stock-market Competition
will begin. Rabobank is the
main sponsor of this competi
tion which is open to students,
clients, investors and person-
nel who can manage an equity
portfolio to the value of NLG
300,000 for a period of 10
weeks. Participants who achieve
the highest performance in the
various categories are awarded
attractive cash prizes. Last
year, almost 16,000 individual
and group participants entered
the competition.
