Popular Rabobank moves into the limelight Official opening designed to boost name re cognition in Spain Rabobank Allfinanz comes to Ireland International private banking strategy Raboband INTERNATIONAL STAFF COMMUNICATION MAGAZINE FOR THE RABOBANK GROUP Issue I 6 february 1995 'January 18 was our official opening,' says joint general manager Alfredo Jimenez-Millais, 'but in fact we'd already done some very interesting deals. I think everyone believed it was better to have something to show for our efforts before we made a big public splash.' And that is exactly what Popular Rabobank has done. 'We are really proud of the business we did for one of Spain's biggest sherry producers and their joint-venture partner Ahold, Holland's leading retail grocer. They were very pleased with our handling of the deal, so we're convinced there is a potential long term relationship there. This is a perfect example of how we can work in the international market - the Spanish agri and banking communities - and was also designed to boost the joint venture's image in the market. 'We then took chairman Wijffels and Henk Visser to meet the management of Spain's premier cooperative sugar beet refinery, ACOR. This type of top level meeting really helps promote our name recognition here.' Although Popular Rabobank is still building up its operations, the amount of business al ready generated has led to plans to increase its current 18-person team to 26. 'And we're even thinking about a branch office in Barcelona,' Jimenez-Millais says, 'that is some way in the future, but I'm convinced we'11 be able to make it happen.' The joint venture set up in last April spent its first nine months quietly moving into the Spanish market. Now, with positive results to show for its first year operations, Popular Rabobank has something to celebrate - and it is doing it in style. sherry people know Banco Popular extremely well, and Ahold knows Rabobank. So no lengthy explanations were needed about who we are.' Name recognition is a definite problem for the young jv bank. 'Rabobank is almost an unknown player in the Spanish market and the same applies for Popular in Holland,' says Jimenez-Millais, 'so we be lieved one way to improve that was to get our name in the Spanish quality newspapers.' Two days before the opening, Jimenez-Millais and his colleague Arnoud van Schelven hosted a press trip to the Netherlands to show Spanish economie and agri-sector journalists just who Rabobank is. 'I know they were impressed - you can't buy that kind of publicity.' The official opening, attended by both parent banks' top management consisted of a series of cele- bratory events - lunch at the Dutch ambassador's residence, a cocktail party for major players in the The launch of Rabobank's Dublin office is more than just a new addition to the ever-expanding inter national network. Page 3. Rabobank has long been a low-profile,though reputable player in the private banking sector. A structured strategy was needed to bring out its full potential. Page 6. Antwerp hosts Forecast '95 Every year, the bank pro- duces a comprehensive economie forecast for the coming 12 months. For the second year in succession, Rabobank Antwerp invites its clients to debate the issues with senior management. Page 7.

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