Meeting in CYBERSPACE Rabobank What's NewS Monthly internal newsletter for the Central Banking Sector issue i .January 1996 Every Thursday, Rabobank treasury managers are gathering in cyberspace. Thanks to an experimental video conferencing link, coördinators for London, New York, Singapore and Utrecht can act as if they were actually in the same room. 'These people talk with each other all the time,' remarks Theo van Koningsveld; 'the added value is that they can now see each other as they speak. It adds a new dimension.' At the end of the three- month-long experiment, these new dimensions will be converted into working applications. Some will be bilateral: two account managers or systems support experts can confer, see each other, and, most crucially, work on a document at the same time. Another idea is to videolink all the A-treasury trading floors, thus breaking down the barriers of distance, and creating a sense of shared space. On the photo Bernard Walschots of financial market. in brief contents FAR EAST PRIVATE BANKING PUSH The bank is currently engaged in a major recruitment drive to bring its private banking activities up to speed in South East Asia. Says Rik van Slingelandt: 'By its very nature, private banking is relationship based. If you want to build the type of portfolio we're looking for all over the world, then you have to do that by recruiting senior private bankers.' The bank's aim is to have in place an ultimate core group of 80 people to cover the region. 'And we expect that group to bring in portfolios of about USD 2 billion within two to three years,' he says. 'We've already built up a considerable activity in Switzerland following the arrival of Heinz Zimmer. And success breeds success. We've got real FX Match is operative. Mars, the major UK-based food company, is the bank's first signing for this electronic confirmation system on forex and money market transactions. impetus in this field and our new people in the Far East will keep it that way.' POLISH PERMISSION The Polish Central Bank has formally approved Rabobank's application for a banking licence. 'We've just received the official confirmation,' says GM Henk Adams, 'and now we're only waiting for the foreign exchange licence which usually takes a little longer.' The approval brings Rabobank's formal acquisition of the Polish agri-industrial Bank Rolno-Przemyslowy one step further. DEAL OF THE YEAR In case you hadn't heard - the medium-term US Eximbank supported transaction has been designated top deal of 1995 (see What's NewS, issue 6). Rabobank Argentina provided the cliënt, Buyatti SAICA. The trade finance team in New York picked up the ball and ran with it. Congratulations to both teams. SWEETTALK This year's now traditional F&A conference, on sugar and sweeteners, has been slated for 25 to 27 March. Venue is Bangkok. IN THIS MONTH'S WHAT'S NEWS Back to the future - review 1995, preview 1996,and the big bash 3 Down-under special - why Rabobank Australia is on top 10 Colleagues-in-law - our unsung legal heroes 14 Raibo do Brazil - licenced to bank 17 Madrid - see how the office works 20 Talking heads - the private side of Rik van Slingelandt 24 ...and lots more

Rabobank Bronnenarchief

blad 'What's news' (EN) | 1996 | | pagina 1