Sustained start
for Shanghai
in the news
contents
Rabobank
Monthly newsletterfor Rabobank International fQf j fjt6 f tl QI USC O tl I y Issue 9September 1998
Taking no risks
International
EMU Guide
Another month of
news the network over
What'sNewS
Four years after RI opened its
first rep office, the Shanghai
subsidiary got off to a cracking
official start on 28 August.
Doing the honours was Hans
ISmits, deputy chairman of the
'xecutive board. Mao Ying
Liang of the Chinese Central
Bank said a word, and Paul
Schellenkens from the Dutch
consulate joined Hanno Riedlin
and local general manager
Maarten van Alkemade on the
The third annual sound board
credit risk policy meeting was
held in Utrecht, bringing
together head credit officers
from our network's six largest
offices (Utrecht, New York,
Rundon, Sydney, Singapore and
^long Kong)and
representatives from global risk
management. Topics discussed
included credit approval
procedures, credit investment
banking, credit organization
and the potential credit risk
problems surrounding the
millennium bug. Each year
head office awards a rating
based on the global credit
team's performance - a new
initiative this time round was
the presentation of the 'highest
credit rating' trophy. A total of
17 committees received a rating
this year, with Australia taking
the trophy for the team
showing the greatest
®nprovement. Their score (up
podium. Over 300 guests
looked on, many of them
prospects waiting eagerly for
our official launch to close
deals that have long been in the
pipeline. The entrance of two
dragons led by a dancer hailed
the 'new' operation. This is a
traditional component in any
Chinese celebration. Rather less
predictable was the arrival of
30 children who had travelled
specially from their school in
Anhui province to join the fes-
tivities. These kids will be get-
Jaap Slotema (left) awarding
Australia's Phil Hislop the 'highest
credit rating trophy'
from 4.6 to 4.9) was neck and
neck with London, but adding
weight for Australia was the
fact that they had the lowest
declination level of all the
credit applications. Watch this
space for next year's winners.
A coordinated effort by various
RI research units has created a
new research publication, 'The
New Economics of EMU and
ECB, Rabobank's Guide to
ECB Watchers' which promises
to further highlight Rabobank's
expertise and authority as a
Cutting the ribbon forShanghai's brand new start
ting a better education due to
the Shanghai offices teamplay
efforts. Singing our own praises
is rarely Rabobank style, but
few could resist the - slightly
off key - though clear vocal
salute to Shanghai's newest
banking operation. For more
on the regional sustainable
development conference hosted
by Shanghai to mark our cente-
nary, turn to pages 10-11.
leading Euro bank. The aim of
the guide is to analyze the
changes in the European
economie and monetary
landscape after the
introduction of the EMU. The
5 role of the European Central
I Bank (ECB) is outlined along
with the challenges it faces in
implementing a common
monetary policy in
structurally-diverse Euroland.
'The product is essentially a
tooi for professionals within
the bank,' says global head of
research Hung Tran, 'but it
may also be of use to
institutional clients who need
to monitor and assess the
ECB's policy actions and their
impact on the financial market.
And more generally, it may be
of interest to a wider range of
clients wanting to be informed
about the changes brought
about by EMU and the impact
of the euro.'
Copies of the ECB Guide are
available at a cost of NLG 30
each from either Brigitte
Krijbolder or Amanda
Schoeman in the London
research department,
telephone +44 171 410 3900,
fax +44 171 334 9198.
Employees council - consequences
of the EU workers group 2
Health care - IT communication
system RaboCare 3
Investment banking -
New developments for GED 4
Edible oils conference - F&A
networking in Rio de Janeiro 6
Hamburg - trade finance update 12
Talking heads - Dennis Ziengs on
Northeast Asia 16
