The road to EMU
X
Human Resources Meeting
Rabobank International's Euro currency transition team, headed
by Hans Reusch, has recently launched a combined seminar and
'road show' initiative as part of its far-reaching program to
heighten EMU awareness. What's NewS asks how it works.
The business implications of EMU j
The first phase of the initiative consists of four
internal seminars intended to bring Rabo
bank front office staff up to speed on legal,
tax, payment and administrative issues
related to the forthcoming conversion to a
common currency. The starting point for
these seminars is a realization that the Euro
conversion will not only bring a larger and
more transparent market but also greater
competition between internationally-
oriented companies and banks.
SHORT DEADLINE
Our challenge is to strengthen our market
position - a task that will fall to front office
staff - and our success will depend on
having a thorough grounding in facts. Our
account managers, mergers acquisition
teams, corporate finance people, product
specialists and all other professionals will
have to be in a position to fully and fluently
answer clients questions and address their
basic needs on the Euro within 22 months.
(Of course, for more in-depth queries, the
front office professionals can always refer
clients to our specialists.)
DETAILED INFO
As background material for these internal
seminars, the Economics Department has
arranged to have their cliënt briefing paper
entitled 'Your Company and the Euro'
translated into English. Participants in the
seminars will be expected to familiarize
themselves with this paper, which documents
the background of monetary union, provides
details about the introduction of the common
currency in Holland, explains the conse-
quences of EMU for companies, and out-
lines practical steps that clients can take to
prepare for the event. The seminars - which
will include a number of discussion periods
punctuated by lunch and a question-and-
answer session attended by Arthur Arnold,
Henk van der Stelt and Hans Megens - thus
represent a first essential step in what
promises to be a steep climb up the euro
'learning curve' for front office staff.
CORPORATE MESSAGE
A second phase in the 'Euro awareness
program' - starting in mid-May - will
bring a series of external road shows.
These congresses are aimed at providing
our clients and prospects with in-depth
information on practical aspects of the
EMU implementation. (Invitations to the
first two gatherings, which will be held on
21 and 22 May in Utrecht, will soon be
sent to the financial managers of the top
500 companies in the Netherlands. These
congresses will be followed by gatherings
in Frankfurt and Paris in June.)
WORKSHOP STRUCTURE
Each congress will open with a keynote
speech - in Utrecht this will be delivered by
D.J. Groninger - followed by several
specialized workshops. They will cover: 1
treasury and payments; (2) project
organization; (3) legal, tax and accountancy
issues; and, (4) subjects related to
information technology (1T). The workshops
will be repeated so that two delegates from
each participating company can attend all
four. The workshops will be chaired
Rabobankers - with the exception of the tax,
legal and accountancy groups, for which we
will bring in outside expert consultants.
ADDINGVALUE
'These will not be run-of-the-mill Euro get-
togethers,' says Reusch. 'We intend to
distinguish ourselves. Every attendee will
walk away with the feeling that they know
significantly more than when they arrived.
If we succeed in this aim, then Rabobank
will enhance its image as a centre of
practical Euro know-how and excellence.'
EMU EN DE KLANT
Half mei zal een
programma van start gaan
om onze klanten
diepgaand te informeren over de praktische
aspecten van de EMU. Een sessie zal ingeleid
worden door Jan Groninger, waarna een
aantal workshops zullen plaatsvinden over
treasury en betalingsverkeer,
projectorganisatie,juridische, fiscale en
boekhoudkundige consequenties, alsmede
onderwerpen die gerelateerd zijn aan IT. Met
deze vorm van informatie-overdracht willen
we ons image als kennisgedreven bank
versterken.
Human Resources managers
met on 11-13 February to
discuss the global policy.
One of the main items was
the common staff appraisal
form to be used by all offices,
which is being developed by a
special task force. Specific
emphasis will be given to
personal development, to
stimulate future outlook for
our staff.
From left Astrid Callenbach, BraziU Kanen Smits, Utrecht branch;
Lesley Asbton Cole, Londoti; Wendy Bellus, New York; Flip
Goudsmit, Utrecht FIO; Colette Vanier, Paris; Melissa Lee, Hong
Kong; Robert Struys, Antwerp; Daniël Hubinon, Luxembourg;
Susana Romero, Chile; Thomas Penzkofer, Franfurt.
