Introducing... Popular Rabobank
■k
20
international
WHAT'S News Issue 1 January 1996
Launched officially less than a year ago, the Madrid-based team is tackling the
Spanish market in a big way. Reason enough to spotlight the people
behind Popular Rabobank.
A joint venture with the reputable and
firmly-established strategie alliance partner
Banco Popular Espanol (BPE) was
Rabobank's strategy for entering the
Spanish market. BPE has 1,800 offices
nationwide and can provide retail and local
services to Rabobank's clients. The two
banks got together in early 1994 and set up
what became known as Popular Rabobank.
Arnout van Schelven and Alfredo Jiménez-
Millas lead an independent wholesale
operation structured in three departments -
commercial (including a Dutch Desk),
operations and treasury.
DEVELOPING BUSINESS
'In the early stages,' says commercial
manager Carlos Gomez-Arroyo, 'things
were quite tough. Our name wasn't known
in the Spanish market and we had to work
hard on recognition. However, we've now
proved to the F&A sector here that we are
a dedicated bank with real expertise in their
business. So we're now developing quite
well.'
'Quite well' in Madrid means the
commercial team has established total
investments of around ESP 35 billion (NLG
455 million). These numbers are down to
Gomez-Arroyo's six-person team. 'Account
managers Ignacio Gorostiza, Enrique Buesa
and I all came from outside, while Huub
Keulen was recruited from Utrecht,' he
says. 'All four of us are specialized in
specific food and agri-sectors here in Spain
and we've managed to build up a portfolio
of around 40 clients so far. We're expecting
to doublé that number in 1996.'
DUTCH FOCUS
Popular Rabobank insists it has one of the
best Dutch Desks in the network. And that
claim is not made by Erik Vermeulen and
Frederike Wyt, but by their colleagues. The
Madrid Dutch Desk is able to offer Rabo
bank clients all retail products through the
strategie alliance with BPE. 'We have
around 300 clients,' says Frederike, 'and we
can provide a broad range of services.' Erik
adds, 'we can assist companies in arranging
local finance facilities and improve
collection of payments for Dutch exporters
to Spain. But we also have people coming
in who want to buy a home in Spain. They
can arrange their mortgage through us.'
Huub Keulen, who is coordinating the
activities of the Dutch Desk, reports that as
of December 18 Joaquin Jiménez Krijgsman
will join the Oficina bolandesa, as the desk
is called in Spain.
MORE TREASURY ACTION
Madrid's treasury is extremely important
for Popular Rabobank's bottom line. The
current dealers, Alberto Penalver and Miguel
Angel Herrero, are not only responsible for
investing the bank's capital to enhance total
profit, they are now increasingly working
with other investments and derivatives. The
Madrid team has high hopes of its treasury
for the future and is putting its money
where its mouth is by recruiting two new
dealers in the New Year.
OPERATING FOR SUCCESS
As the Madrid office comprises only 21
staff, José Antonio Pinas wears a number of
hats. Besides managing the operations
department, he is also responsible for
personnel. 'The first person you'11 meet
when you come into the bank is Akke Kals-
beek, our receptionist,' says Pinas. 'If you
move down the corridor, then the
operations department itself has five areas
of responsibility. Pilar Clarambo runs the
back-office. Patricia Verdu is in charge of
loans and credit. Ylse Dophemont looks
after the foreign department. Gabriel
Lozano takes care of control and reporting,
while Javier Florez and Mari Paz Llop deal
with systems.
BARCELONA BOUND
Say Van Schelven and Jiménez-Millas: 'We
have a great highly-motivated team here.
We're more than meeting budget and are
establishing an upward line in our results.
So we'11 be looking for expansion in the
coming year and plans are on the drawing
board for a loan production office in
Barcelona. We think you'11 see this
expansion before the second half of 1996.'
SUCCES IN SPANJE
De joint-venture met de Banco Popular
Espanol verloopt uitstekend. Onze vestiging in
Madrid weet zichzelf ook goed te verkopen.
Het account management verwacht in 1996
een verdubbeling van haar activiteiten, de
treasury wordt uitgebreid en het kantoor claimt
dat haar Dutch Desk één van de beste ter
wereld is. De prognoses worden ruim gehaald
en de resultaten vertonen een stijgende lijn.
A The management team - Arnout van
Schelven (left) and Alfredo Jiménez-
Millas (right).
Dutch desk - Frederike Wyt
and Erik Vermeulen.
