At 59, Bert Heemskerk can look back on a stun- ning career in international, domestic and, most recently, private banking. But for the new man at the top of Rabobank, 59 also marks the start of a new challenge.Tve worked at a number of great banks,'he says.'But there are few financial institutions which appeal to the imagination in the way Rabobank does. It is a bank with charac- ter, one that appreciates corporate responsibility. These attributes are inextricably linked to coop- erative banking; they are the envy of other banks.' In the summer of 2002, a brand new chapter in his career was probably the last thing on Heemskerk's mind. Following 23 years with ABN Amro, both nationally and internationally, in 1991 he had been appointed Chairman of the prestigious, long-established family private bank, Van Lanschot; the first non-family member to head the bank. During his tenure at Van Lanschot, Heemskerk took the bank public and effectively built it into the biggest private bank in the Netherlands. 'And,' he says, 'just as Van Lanschot is the largest niche player in private banking, Rabobank is the largest full financial services provider in the country. It is a fine challenge to head an in- stitution like this for a number of years.' Heemskerk has signed up with Rabobank for five years from 1 December 2002; his performance will be evaluated by the Su- pervisory Board after three years. 4 I The Word I

Rabobank Bronnenarchief

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