Fact File - Singapore
Hong Kong's high-flyers
Raöo
course,' says Oei, 'we also help out the odd
Dutch tourist who pops in to cash a couple
of Euro-cheques. We don't have a retail bank
ing service as such, but Rabo-clients from
the Netherlands see the logo, and drop in.'
Oei is also responsible for the far-reaching
automation program which is in develop-
ment at the branch. 'We're very keen on
automation here,' laughs Oei, 'because the
government grants considerable tax con-
sessions as an incentive to upgrade com
puter technology.' The bank is focussed on
increased automation because it sees the
need for ever-increasing efficiency and
speed. 'We're growing all the time,' he says,
'so you have to be able to handle the in
creased volumes of work. At present, our
bread-and-butter is corporate banking and
the treasury, which represent 28 and 35 per
cent of our revenue, respectively. Trade fi-
nance is a relatively new product, and you
have to be able to accommodate the sup
port work. So automation is an essential
part of our operation.'
Information Increasingly computerized
systems also provide a partial solution to a
pressing problem. 'The economy here is
booming,' says Chew Chung Huan, head of
credit, 'and because it's booming, recruiting
experienced staff is difficult. Because we're
still fairly small, organizing training courses
for our existing personnel poses a problem.
You can't have half your people out of the of
fice for lengthy periods when there's so
much work to be done. And management is
always looking for more and more infor-
mation, so the computerized systems are
essential.'
Training Yet, the Singapore branch is
working on training for existing personnel.
'i'd say our informal approach is also valu-
able,' says Oei, 'on-the-job coaching is im
portant and the department heads are com-
mitted to it. We also encourage external
courses by reimbursing tuition fees. And
we're in the process of developing a credit
training program. Everything we do in this di-
rection can only improve the dynamism of
the staff.'
Recreation Promoting a healthy work
ing environment is also the aim of the
bank's Recreation Club. President Lai
Chong Tuck - perhaps better known to
Rabobankers as one of Singapore's senior
trade and commodity finance account man
agers -takes his role very seriously. 'Former
general manager Gijs van der Schrieck in-
troduced the idea when the office was still
very small. It started as informal get-to-
gethers for dinner or sports and the annual
trip on Singapore's national day bank-holi-
day weekend in August. But we've now
grown so big, the activities have to be more
focussed, partly because of budget. You
have to deploy the resources you have avail-
able. We organize sports like aerobics, bowl
ing and tennis, and we have enough staff
now for interdepartmental tournaments. But
I think the highlight is the trip we take to-
gether. Around 80 percent of the staff come
along and bring their spouses or partners.
Last year, we all went to Thailand. It allows
people to get to know each other in a more
informal, casual way. And the bank benefits
because everyone comes back feeling good
and with a greater sense of unity.'
Type of operation: Rabobank Nederland
branch office and Rabobank Asia Ltd (mer-
chant bank)
Established: 1986
General Manager: Willem van Lynden van
Keppel
Staff: 118 and growing
Products: Treasury, corporate banking,
trade commodity finance, private bank
ing, investment banking
Current food agribusiness: 30 percent
of business
In many respects, Hong Kong bears strik
ing similarities to Singapore. It too is
no bigger than a city, and it is currently
a British protectorate, although that will
Issue 17/May 24,1993 band
change in 1997 when it reverts to Chinese
control. lts vitality and bustle are almosttan-
gible as you walk through the well-kept
streets accommodating some of the most
fabulous modern architecture in the world.
We'll certainly miss it,' says Sjouke Post-
ma, the branch's co-general manager, but
currently in the process of preparing for his
forthcoming move to Shanghai. When you
look around the office, it's difficult to im-
agine that we started as a rep office in
1986 with only a couple of people,' he says.
'We only became a branch just on three
years ago, so you could say our expansion
has been phenonomal.'
Today, the Hong Kong office employs 74
staff, and it's always on the look out for
more. 'The main problem here,' says head
of operations, Cindy Kwong, 'is that the fi-
nancial industry is so extensive, jobs are
easy to find. We don't have a significant
turnover in the higher-level staff, but keep
ing our lower level people is very difficult.
It's almost as if they all change jobs annu-
ally after the Chinese New Year. But all the
banks - and there are over 200 of them -
have the same problem. What would be
ideal would be a real career development
program so that people can see where
they're going.'
Competition The number of banks,
both local and foreign, means competition is
stiff in Hong Kong. Private Banking manager
Mark Chan, whose department has been
operational for just over six months, be-
lieves it is essential for foreign banks to un-
derstand the pace and culture of the finan-
