Akzo issue -
RELATIONSHIP
APPROACH PAYS OFF
Rabobank
What's NewS
Monthly internal newsletter for the Central Banking Sector issue 7-November 1995)
The fixed income origination section of financial markets has
won the mandate to lead manage a NLG 500 million bond issue
for Akzo Nobel. 'We faced extremely stiff competition,' says Dim
den Braven of origination, 'but in the end our relationship ap-
proach and keen pricing won us the deal.' Rabobank is working
hard on building up its position in the NLG Eurobond market.
'We're currently in second position,' says Den Braven, 'and we've
brought a lot of financial institutions to the Dutch capital mar
ket. But the corporate side is pretty thin so it is great to have
Akzo back.' The bank lead-managed an Akzo-issue in 1992. A
year later, ABN-Amro won the bid, but the Dutch multinational
is now back and the financial markets team intends to keep it
that way.
The picture shows the rather low-key signing ceremony - fltr:
Rabobank's Jan Haars; Akzo's financial director, Frits Hensel
and assistant treasurer Eric Zuijdwijk.
in brief
BEIJING OPEN FOR
BUSINESS
October 30 marked the opening
of the bank's second representa-
tive office in the People's Repu-
blic of China. Plans were also
announced to launch a further
seven in the coming years. The
new Beijing office was opened
officially by Dutch agriculture
minister Jozias van Aartsen and
the bank's Henk Visser during a
trade mission to the PRC. The
bank has also appointed a
second woman representative.
Beijing-born Dai Hui is an econ
omist with experience in trust
and investment. She joins Rabo
bank from First Pacific Bank in
Hong Kong.
If all turns out as planned, our
existing office in Shanghai
should be converted into a fully-
fledged banking unit early next
year. The Chinese market is in-
teresting for the bank because of
the giant country's agri-focus
and strong ongoing economie
growth. Visser also signed two
export financing deals with the
Bank of China and Eximbank
of China, each worth NLG 150
million. In addition, we have
also provided the Bank of China
with a USD 100 million import
facility for agri-products from
the US. Under this program,
New York branch has provided
more than USD 1 billion in
facilities to financial institutions
worldwide.
RABO AUSTRALIA IN
MAJOR AGRI-DEAL
Our Australian operation has
joined forces for the second
time with the Commonwealth
Bank of Australia (CBA) in a
top agri-deal. Both have pro
vided equal guarantees on a
AUD 400 million multi-option
facility for the Adelaide-based
Australian Barley Board. Rabo
Australia first teamed up with
CBA last April when the two
banks took equal third shares
in a AUD 45 million revolving
credit facility for Colly Farms,
the country's biggest cotton
producer. In a report on this
latest deal carried by the auth-
oritative Australian Financial
Review, Rabo Australia is des-
cribed as: 'the local merchant
bank subsidiary of Dutch giant
Rabobank, the world's biggest
agribusiness lender'.
contents
IN THIS MONTH'S
WHAT'S NEWS
Working relations - top
Argentinian oil-crusher Moreno
tells us what they want from us 3
International cash manage
ment - structuring for excel-
Ience4
North America special - name
says itall 5/12
Banker on the spot -Tjepke
Nawijn in Bangkok on the Thai
experience 13
Man at the top - Bert Steketee
on Bert Steketee 16
