f<JeM
What's NewS Issue 1 January 1996
cbs happy new year
9
Joost Verheijen (F&A research
team, Utrecht):
'Changes shouldn't be seen as
threatening, but as stimulating.
Right now l'm moving to another
job within Rabobank.That's a
positive kind of change but still a
change. If l'd stayed in my present
job, l'd have had to make all sorts
of changes as well.'
Jan Groeneweg (corporate
banking, real estate, Utrecht):
The best news was our plans to
explore other sectors in other
countries in addition to food and
agribusiness.They're ambitious in
the positive sense of the word.'
Lucy Ana Pandjaitan (senior
account manager, Indonesia):
'We were thrilled to hear of
expansion plans for Indonesia in
the coming year. A new office will
be opened and although this will
be difficult because of
government regulations, we want
to make it happen. Our dients
want us to do it, we want to do it,
and it's good to see that the
management acknowledges that.'
Amro. Now, Rabobank is definitely a
serious player. For example, we've had a
tremendous year in project financing. We
have become the top finance provider in
the domestic energy business and in
Utilities. But not only that, we've also
come up with very creative and inventive
ways of helping these energy companies
make these huge and essential investments.
And there were also a number of cross
border transactions in this sector which
mean we're able to export this know-how.'
DEEPENING RELATIONS
Creating transactions such as those
developed for project finance deals is a
way to get deeper into our target clients.
'It goes piecemeal,' Van Slingelandt
believes. 'You start with inventive credit
lines, project financing lines, trade lines,
payment lines, currency lines. And you
build on that. We have the products to
attack the market, we have the people and
organization to attack the market. Okay, it
could be better in places - we're all
working on improvements. But, by and
large, everything is in place to service
whoever we want to service. What we now
have to do is use that to the fullest extent
in combination with our partnership
philosophy.'
FOCUSED BANKING
This focused approach is proving
successful. Based on thorough knowledge
and sound research in the sectors
concerned, CBS worldwide is carving out
positions. 'The US health-care sector is a
good example of what you can achieve
with focused banking,' Van Slingelandt
continues. 'We have already built up a
credible portfolio and we're starting to
gain reputation. These sectors are not like
F&A in the sense that they don't
communicate. They are very separate
markets in separate environments. But,
like food and agri, they are primary
sectors. People will always need health-
care. But they're also specialist markets so
we have to dig even deeper into know
how. Again, that means more research and
more investment in research. Real
expertise and indepth knowledge of a
sector is our added value for clients and
it's what ultimately pays our salaries.'
MANAGING CHANGE
If ongoing plans and adjustments to
existing strategy are implemented, then
CBS's salary bill is going to be
considerably higher in the very near future.
'We're currently talking about how we can
further refine and improve our focus,' he
confirms. 'We want to make that an
integral part of how we work and we have
to think very seriously about how it should
be organized. It's time to come up with
newer, innovative concepts in banking. At
the very least, we have to examine which
combination of markets and products we
will have to add to our existing range in
order to be making money in 2010. Fine-
tuning and adjusting our approach will
bring about changes. Now, I see that as a
positive development because change will
create real opportunities for the forecast
4,000 CBSers by the year 2000. Those
changes and opportunities will have to be
managed.'
CAREER INITIATIVE
The management team is well into the
process of looking at new ideas. 'That's no
secret,' says Van Slingelandt. 'It's our job,
it's what we're here for. But even though
nothing definite has been decided, l'm
already getting a sense that people are
worried about even the idea of change.
We're talking about making real
investments and sustaining the kind of
growth which will ultimately mean
doubling our activities. Whether you're
back or front office, junior or senior, that
can only mean there are even more
opportunities to achieve your goals in life.'
THE BOTTOM LINES
These changes are all bound up in the
massive investment CBS will be making in
the time to come. According to Van
Slingelandt, the targeted focus on markets
and upgraded information systems and the
value at risk project will take not only
major financial investment, but also a lot
of our energy and human resources
management. We have to deploy our
people in the best way possible. So we
must have properly managed career
planning. These issues have to be
addressed from a policy perspective. And
not only on a Dutch basis. We are an
international organization, so we have to
think like one, especially when it comes to
developing career opportunities for our
people - worldwide. And talking of
opportunities, can 1 take this one to wish
everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous
1996.'
Our representative office in Johannesburg
will start on 8 January, with Paco den Doop
as our representative.The address is:
Rabobank, Representative Office Southern
Africa
Rosebank Office Park, Block C, 1 st Floor
181, Jan Smuts Avenue, Parktown North-2120
Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa
PO Box 1396, Parklands 2121
Tel:+27.11.442.46.49/74, Fax: +27.11.442.46.85