Paris
What's NewS
Paris - networking
FOR THE FUTURE
WHAT'S NewS Issue 6 June 1997
Supplement for What's NewS «June 1997
For Paris international Rabobankers, the customer focus strategy
has acted like the final piece in a commercial jigsaw. Following
five years of pushing our foot in the door of one of Europe's
toughest markets, the new strategy inspired a restructuring -
flatter organization, shorter lines of Communications, and
especially, a focus on pooling resources with the rest of the
network - that is already proving profitable for the branch. A
good start, is the general consensus, but it's still fragile and needs
all the 60-strong team's committed nurturing. What's NewS goes
visiting in the heart of Paris's quartier bancaire.
England
Netherlands
Belgium
Paris
France
Spain
Germany
While the French team are quick
to point out that no market is
easy, they are equally quick to
point out that this is one of the
hardest. The French business
environment is so overbanked
that borrowing at as little as five
basis points is considered
expensive by customers. 'You
offer a cliënt extremely cheap
^noney,' confirms F&A
relationship manager, Herve
Bernaille, 'and if you're lucky,
after two or three years, you
may be allowed to come and
talk about potential cross-
selling.' Allowed? Tm not
joking,' he says seriously. 'When
I say allowed, that is exactly
what I mean. So you have to
have something very interesting,
very different to teil them in an
attempt to counterbalance the
weakest lending margins in the
world.'
VALUE ADDED
Having talked to many of the
Paris team, it starts to become
clear why they are so positive
F&A department
with frorn left to
right: Olivier
Castera - Account
Officer, Philippe
Charbonnier -
Account Officer
and Hervé
Bernaille, Manager.
about the customer focus
strategy which prompted a
rethink of what they were
doing to bring home the bacon.
'With credit so cheap and easy
to get for clients,' says GM
Flans van Griethuysen, 'you
clearly need to add value. At
the same time, market
conditions prevalant in France
will soon apply to the whole of
Europe. In that respect, we are
certainly the country to watch.
Given this context, the notion
of reinforcing our presence on
Hans van
Griethuysen (left)
- General
manager and
Thierry Lacorre -
Senior Dealer
Treasury, rejoicing
on their financial
news.
the market by attempting to
show clients that we can offer
them something they cannot get
from other banks is working
for us and everyone is very
excited, also about our
prospects for ongoing
profitability.'
TOUGH CONDITIONS
Consequently, the majority of
the team is F&A focused. 'You
must remember that this
country is the second largest
food and agri-exporter in the
Rl Parijs heeft een nieuwe strategie en een nieuwe structuur. De organisatie is platter, de communicatielijnen zijn korter en er is
een duidelijke nadruk op samenwerking met de rest van het netwerk die nu al resultaten oplevert voor de branche. Frankrijk is een
moeilijke markt, maar het land is wel de op één na grootste F&A exporteur ter wereld. Rl heeft vanwege specifieke know-how hier
veel te bieden, ondanks meer aantrekkelijke kredietvoorwaarden bij andere banken.
SURTOU
