in briet
millennium update
Management moves
Monitoring change
40 years on
new face
2 What's NewS Issue 8 Aug/Sept 1999 I
Change in IT systems in any dynamic
industry is inevitable. Banking is no
cxception. We update current systems,
implement new ones, revise infrastruc-
tures and open new offices. But with
every change comes risk, both millen
nium and longer-term. It is therefore im-
perative that changes are managed in a
structured and controlled manner using
Standard procedures - implcmenting this
process is the task now facing Dirk
Hakkesteegt, RI service manager, and
the millennium project change control
team. 'We can't introducé new function-
ality without changing current or rolling
out new systems, but this involves risk.
By managing change to hardware and
business systems, we can minimize risks
of disruption to IT services,' he says.
The first step for the change manage
ment team was to define a framework
for change control, which is the process
within an IT environment which sup
ports management of that change. Sec-
ond, devise a questionnaire facilitating a
self-assessment, and lastly agree on ob-
jectives with intcrnal auditors to ensure
common goals. It was determined that
medium to low-impact offices would rely
on self-assessments, while high impact
offices would undergo 'health checks'
based on extensive interviews with
branch staff such as systems developers,
programmers and IT and operations
managers. 'The ultimate goal of a health
check as well as the self-assesment, is to
agree on and implement an action plan,'
says Hakkesteegt. 'The branch owns the
plan, with change management acting as
monitors and advisors in the process.'
Health checks were completed in Lon-
don, Amsterdam, New York and Opex,
and are planned for Dublin, Antwerp,
Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Sydney and Sin
gapore, while for Utrecht they have
teamed up with IT audit. Says
Hakkesteegt: 'we expect the action plans
will be completed on schedule in all
branches, well beforc the 1 October or-
ganization-wide moratorium on change.
While we're in good shape for the year
2000, adequate change control will re-
main an ongoing priority to guarantee
the availability and reliability of IT sys
tems within the bank.'
Turkey's general manager niarked a very special oc
casion on July 15 this year as he celebrated 40
years with Rabobank. In the four decades since the 18-
year old joined his local membcr bank, gradually climb-
ing the corporate ladder and ultimately moving in the
early 1980s to what would become Rabobank Interna
tional, he has seen massive changes in the organization.
We would like to congratulate hint on an impressive ca-
reer as a committed cooperative banker, both domestic
and international.
Henk Adams
Pat riek Maes bas
been appointed
global bead of IT
systems development
and a tnember of tbe
administration man
agement committee
as of 1 July. He will
have global respon-
isbility for the architecture, design, devel
opment, and maintenance of all software
applications for Rabobank International
(RI) and be based in Utrecht and London.
Maes joins our organization with degrees
Masthead
in commercial sciences, applied econom-
ics, artificial intellegence, matbematics
and computer modeling and teaching.
Professionally, be held senior IT-related
positions at Kankers Trust, IBM global
services and CIMAD.
believe that the current evolution within
Rabobank International can enable IT to
provide solutions and services which al-
low the business to reduce costs and itn-
prove time to market. The most important
success factor is definitely the people,
wbere team spirit and substance are the
major drivers.
Coordination Mirjam Diepenbrock, Marketing RI
Managing Edilor Anne Lavelle
(The Write Company)
Editors David Brown, Lisa Petrie,
Richard Nicodème (layout)
Distribution Len Fraser
Editorial Address
Rabobank International Marketing, UC B652
P.O.Box 17100,3500 HG Utrecht
Telephone +31 (0)30 216 2433.
Telefax +31 (0)30 216 1976
Rabomail
mirjam.diepenbrock" utc.rabobank.com
Design the write. company .Amsterdam
Lithography Zetterij Niek van Dijk, Amsterdam
Printing Drukkerij Cliteur bv, Amsterdam fl
Please send address changes by email to
Mirjam Diepenbrock, Marketing RI
What's NewS is complimentary for internal staff.
Rabobank Group yearly subscription price, NLG 125
Ruurd Weulen
Kranenberg re-
places Dennis Ziengs
as general manager
of Rabobank Hong
Kong. Ziengs has
moved to Deutsche
Bank. Kranenberg
joined Rabobank in
1988, initially in ac
count management
and financial mar
kets before becom-
ing general manager
of Rabobank Ireland
Plc. in 1996. He will also fulfill duties as
regional general manager for Greater
China on an ad interim basis, pending the
completion of the strategie review process.
Ruurd Weulen Kranenberg and Hans van
Griethuysen
Succeeding Kranen
berg as general
manager of Ireland
branch is Hans van
Griethuysen, whose
most recent assign-
ment was assisting
the managing board
with the strategie
review process. Van
Griethuysen joined
us in 1994, first as
general manager of
Rabobank Indone-
sia and later of
Rabobank France. Other movers includc
Oet Bakker (formcrly GM Poland) and m
Klaas Evert Engelse (GM Malaysia) who
both go to local member banks.
