'I LOVE THE INTRADAY DYNAMICS OF INVESTMENT BANKING...' 16 talking heads WHAT'S NewS Issue 5 May 1997 When Andries Mak van Waay joined the management of Rabo Securities, a full subsidiary of Rl, last year the idea of a strong expansion into investment banking had already taken root. 'For me,' says the 20-year veteran of the discipline, 'this was a tremendous step forward for the bank as a whole, and especially for our own team here. It gave us a frame of reference for future development.' There's a hint of the 'red- suspender' image to Andries Mak van Waay, but it is only skin-deep. With 20 years in the business, he is very much the kind of team player who is crucial to building up this side of the bank's investment banking activities. At 39, he may seem a little young to have so many years experience, but that is because at a very early age he was 'intrigued by this business,' he says. 'In fact, I dropped out of college temporarily because I wanted to work.' He would go back later, but the dies were actually cast by the time he was 20. 'I found out very quickly that I loved the financial world, that commercial banking was very interesting, but the intra-day dynamics of investment banking is totally absorbing.' Although he joined Amro with the enthusiasm of youth and a real sense of dedication, he admits banking hadn't always been his first career choice. 'When I joined Rabobank,' he laughs, 'one of my brothers called me and said: You finally got where you wanted to be. As a child, I'd wanted to be a farmer. From a very young age, 8 or 9 years old, I worked during summer vacations on a farm.' Animals or crops? 'Animals, definitely,' he says. It is a passion that has never left him, but now it is expressed in the form of short, but fairly regular scuba-diving holidays. 'I like large marine animals, sharks, whales that kind of thing. Being 40 metres down is a totally relaxing experience, to me it feels almost natural. It isn't, of course, and you can never let yourself think it is.' He agrees underwater is fascinating, but potentially dangerous 'unless you stick to the rules.' Asked if that is an analogy for his job, he pauses before saying: 'I've never thought about it, but perhaps subconsciously it may be. Having said that, our job is calculated risk-taking. Diving is the opposite. You should never come into a risk environment. That would mean you were doing the wrong thing.' Another area where Mak van Waay rarely does the wrong thing is the environment. 'Fm something of an environmental terrorist,' he grins, 'but as a diver you can't help but be passionate about the natural world. When I'm around water - my other great hobby is sailing - every single plastic cup I see floating around offends What does not offend Mak van Waay is the idea of hard work. 'That kind of ethic is supposed to be Calvinist,' he grins. 'I was raised a Catholic, but somehow it seems to have rubbed off on me, along with a passion for Carnival. The reason I love it so much is that for a couple of days a year, everyone is equal, there is no social divide.' Mak van Waay says this in a way that precludes any hint of class awareness. What you do piek up is what appears to be an inherent sense of responsibility. His career has taken him to senior positions on both sides of the Atlantic, first with Amro, then with First Boston, Mak van Waay: '...Something of a bumpy ride for our organization.' and again with ABN Amro, before joining Rabo Securities^^ Although he is ready to laugh, he is equally ready to be serious when asked about his first year with us. 'It has been something of a bumpy ride,' he says frankly. 'Not for me personally, but for the organization. I think it would be fair to say that it has been a truly challenging and difficult period for our people. There was quite a lot of uncertainty in the early stages of this operation, which was created when an external unit was acquired and merged with the bank's existing securities activities. Senior managers left^^ along with other staff. For those who remain and who are not directly in control, an insecure situation like that can be overwhelming. But what I think is really amazing about the people here is that they not only stayed, but also worked through a pretty deep trough in 1996. Especially our back office people. They have been so tremendously supportive. And what this means is that we can now build on those foundations.' Rabo Securities may have had a tough year, but Mak van Waay is confident about the future. 'Our market share is 4B growing,' he says, 'we are seeing more and more opportunities, and we are much more stable. I think the smooth integration of the Robeco Securities Bank team shows how far we've grown into a cohesive team in the meantime.' He avoids the word easy here. 'That is not a word that comes to mind when thinking about the last year,' he grins. 'But it was tough at times because there was a lack of strategy. What we had to do was build a new strategy and a new team around it. I think we're all really thrilled at the idea of the bank's commitment to investment banking. It has Êl certainly created a frame of 1 reference, not only for the I whole bank, but also for what CL 7 1 we are trying to achieve here I on the equity side.'

Rabobank Bronnenarchief

blad 'What's news' (EN) | 1997 | | pagina 20