CBS Rabo
bank Inter
national
Deal of the month
IT COLUMN
0Ê MONTH
What's NewS Issue 6 June 1996
short news
15
(continued from page 1)
Or it will he from July 1
onwards. The official name
change is a response to the
bank's increasing
international wholesale
activities based on the so-
called Focus Strategy. If this
is new for you, the concept
behind the Focus Strategy is
that in our activities and
positioning, both
■domestically and
"nternationally, Rabobank
International focuses on
specific Customer segments:
Food of Agribusiness and
Flealthcare, in three main
areas of banking -
corporate, investment and
private. Communication
strategies are in preparation
which will reinforce this
positioning.
The idea is to develop what
you'd call a "brand image"
for Rabobank International.
The result should be that the
market associates the name
with a knowledge driven
international wholesale
^ank,' says Roel van Veggel
of marketing services who is
closely involved in both the
communication strategies
and the name change. 'But
equally important is the
internal aspect. There is a
real need among staff, both
in Holland and in the
international network, to
identify with a recognizable
entity. "CBS" was used as a
label, but it never became
truly embedded in the
organization's culture. And it
didn't really have a "ring" to
it. We hope that "Rabobank
International" will meet this
need.
B^hat we now have to do is
ensure people use it in order
to increase the wanted effect
outside.'
Mamix van Iterson
The cliënt: Mastellone Hnos
S.A.,
The deal: a series of ECA-
covered export transactions
incorporated into a single
credit application.
The players: Kees Beijer
(APFT, Utrecht); Engel
Koolhaas (Export Finance,
Utrecht); Peter Knoblanche
(Rabo Australia); Stuart Bar-
rowcliff (Trade Finance,
Rabobank New York); and
Marnix van Iterson
(Rabobank, Buenos Aires).
Mastellone Hnos S.A. is
Argentina's leading dairy
company with net annual sales
exceeding USD 800 million. It
operates 12 production
centres, 14 distribution centres
and 17 milk collection plants.
With a milk processing volume
of 1 billion litres per year, it
handles the equivalent of 14
percent of Argentina's total
milk production.
The deal is remarkable for a
number of reasons, not least
the fact that it has been put
together by the international
network on no less than five
continents. In fact, this
transaction is almost a text-
book example of the kind of
innovation which
represents real
added value in the
market.
'Essentially, it is a
multi-source export
facility which
utilizes Export
Credit Agencies and
effectively
minimizes use of
country limit in
non-OECD
countries,' Van
Iterson explains.
'We will be
financing the
import by
Mastellone of a
milk-powder plant
from Denmark
under EKF cover; a
canning plant from
Australia with EFIC
cover; and a US truck
refrigeration and/or bottling
equipment under EMIX cover.'
The largest component in the
deal is the milk-powder plant
valued at USD 27.4 million.
'Mastellone will be making a
15-percent down payment and
USD 4 million will be financed
by the Danish supplier, NIRO,'
Van Itersen says. 'This deal has
already been signed and our
financing proposal accepted by
Mastellone.
The Australian and US export
are still under negotiation by
buyer and sellers. But there is
little doubt we will be awarded
the finance mandate if they
reach agreement.'
DEAL OF
THE
Een unieke
samenwerking tussen 4
kantoren voor klanten uit 5
continenten, die leidde tot een
gecompliceerde serie ECA-
transacties in één krediet
aanvraag. Het effect van deze
structuur, waarbij diverse
exportkredietmaatschappijen
betrokken zijn, leidt tot een
lagere benutting van de
landenlimiet in niet OECD-
landen.
The long term
information technology
business plan proposed by
Coopers Lybrand has
been accepted Rabobank
International. The plan
foresees implementation - in
four streams - under the
supervision of a single
Program Management team.
Three of these four streams
will affect the branches. Of
these, the first will focus on
large and complex branches;
the second on small and
medium sized branches,
while the third will be
devoted to new branches.
The fourth stream will
support these activities with
tools, architecture, common
systems policy, and
maintenance, as well as
defining overall
Communications. A five-
week transition is now
underway. Rabobank
International operations
managers have been asked
to become stream managers,
supported by C L project
managers. Once stream
management is in place, the
existing project teams will
migrate to the new Program
and standing organization.
The ATLAS project team
changed considerably during
the first quarter of 1996.
The team grew to about
30 people, an increasing
number of whom are
experienced with
implementation. This team,
will help realize the
common systems goal. The
existing Rabobank Branch
Model (RABM) will be
upgraded, both technically
(with the latest software)
and functionally (with new
and additional
requirements). The new
version was technically
tested - successfully - in
early May. It has proved
robust and resilient.
Functional tests and
upgrades are scheduled for
this summer.
