The Dutch team
The Latin
link
America
•L.
r
private banking
9
1
i
What's NewS Issue 8 August 1996
While most of Zurich's team is based in the
Brandschenkestrasse,two of its private bankers are located
on another continent.Charles Roberts in Buenos Aires and
Pedro Butignole in Sao Paolo target the Latin American
market supported by Dagmara Nageli in Zurich.'Our people
in Latin America do not have the kind of systems they need
to supply essential information on their clients.Giving them
that kind of support is my role. I report on the status of
cliënt portfolios every week, inform them on things like
expiring fiduciaries. We sometimes get their clients
popping in here for a visit, so I also take care of receiving
them here. Daniël Nordmann hasjust been to Latin America
where he reactivated contacts and introduced Charles and
Pedro who will do thefollow up. All in all, we're expecting
business there to expand in the near future. And we're
ready for it.'
this market. What you have to
remember is that bringing in a
new cliënt takes six times more
effort than retaining an
existing cliënt.'
This is where Aukje Kunz
comes in. Aukje's task is to
look after the existing group of
Dutch ex-pat clients. 'It is a
job I share with Hoyte,
although he clearly has
responsibility for what we
would call the "heavier"
clients. You have to make sure
people are comfortable, that
they receive a level of service
that is tailored to their needs.'
Aukje Kunz
Company and can
offer a full package
of services through
it. And we're
building our name
here in Switzerland
in a significant
way.'
Erwin Keiler, who
joined the bank
recently from ING's
private banking
operation in
Switzerland, agrees.
Although only a
Rabobanker of one
month's standing, he sees a lot
of opportunities to generate
new business. 'I see my role as
bringing in clients, ideas and
providing support to Hoyte
and the rest of the team,' he
says. 'One area that I will be
looking at is non-Dutch ex-
patriates in the Netherlands.
By that I mean executives who
are currently living and
working in Holland and who
have come to know and
respect the Rabobank name.'
New business is, of course, the
name of the game. 'But,'
Sillevis Smitt is quick to point
out, 'that doesn't mean we can
be complacent about existing
clients. Competition has
become increasingly fierce in
recent years. Because the
returns are so attractive and
because of solvency
requirements, every bank you
can think of wants a piece of
Erwin Keiler
Dagmara Nageli
Many of Zurich's clients are Dutch ex-patriates who have
been with Rabobank in Switzerland since the bank first
opened its doors in 1988. And the current three-person
team is looking to expand its present cliënt base, now
Rabobank is making its mark on the private banking map.
Hoyte Sillevis Smitt
'There was a time,' says Hoyte
Sillevis Smitt, 'when we lost
potential customers to the
competition in the
Netherlands -
ABN, Mees Pierson
- because we didn't
have either the
name or the
infrastructure to
attract what I call
the juicy customers.
By that I mean
those customers
who may have
banked with us in
the Netherlands for
years, but when
they came to sell up
and relocate, took
their portfolio
management and
discretionary business
elsewhere. That is changing
now. We have set up the Trust
NEDERLANDSE KLANTEN
Een speciaal team van Rabobank Zwitserland richt zich op de Nederlandse klanten. Vaak gaat het om ondernemers die hun bedrijf
hebben verkocht en naar het buitenland verhuizen. De stap van de plaatselijke Rabobank naar de Rabobank in Zwitserland is dan
voor de hand liggend. Door de recente ontwikkelingen kan het volledige productenpakket worden aangeboden. De Rabobank is met Private
Banking in Zwitserland aanwezig en zal dat laten merken.