The Customer
4 The cooperative structure
is about developing
an entire system that meets
the customers needs 9
Tailor made
ir
and we understand that their success
is vital to our own success. We place
professional cliënt service above all else
and offer products that are designed to
meet their short and long-term business
goals rather than what is easy to market.
This cooperative approach ensures that
prospects want to bank with us and allows
us to ask a premium for our unique offering."
For William Gurry, introducing cliënt
involvement within a cooperative structure
is an interesting strategie issue that needs
to be studied in detail. "Rabobank is an
international bank, and I think that over
time if you create an F&A specialisation
around the world, it makes sense that
the international banks introducé cliënt
involvement on some level. However, each
country's case is unique, and so I don't think
a one-size-fïts-a11 model would work."
Bruce Dick, meanwhile, views Rabobank
as a family and believes the values of the
organisation are the glue that holds the
whole thing together. "Rabobank stands
for integrity, and fairness and honesty are
encapsulated in cooperative thinking. I
think everyone here has a common sense
of purpose, which tends to capture more
than the typical public listed company, and
it's this common spirit that makes up the
willingness to work as a team."
He believes that introducing a cooperative
structure to Australia and New Zealand will
involve creating a model tailor made for
the particulars of the region. "You couldn't
just take the Dutch model and transport it,
for example. That wouldn't be effective. We
now have a project running that is studying
how the features of the cooperative model
could be applied here. We have an option
to trial this in one part of the country,
and then take it forward elsewhere. What
we're looking for is a way to give clients
meaningful interaction and involvement
within Rabobank and I believe we can make
real progress in introducing the cooperative
structure outside the Netherlands."
Quentin Moxey and Janet Moxey
Located in the wonderfully-named village of
Gooloogong, New South Wales in Australia,
the Moxey family operate one of the most
modern and sophisticated dairy farming
operations in the country. Built up over three
generations, the farm has a staff of 50 that
work with 2000 Holstein-Friesian cows to
produce 75,000 litres of milk per day.
The farm has enjoyed a long and successful
business relationship with Rabobank.
Co-owner Janet Moxey: "We have been with
Rabobank for about 22 years, and in that
time we have expanded dramatically. From
that very first phone call to Neil Dobbin,
Rabobank has continued to help us achieve
ourambitions."
Quentin Moxey, the farm's general manager,
says that Rabobank's in-depth knowledge of
the agricultural sector is a major advantage.
"Rabobank's understanding of food and
agribusiness is definitely a benefit to us.
The bank has a much better idea of the
actual risks associated with an investment
in our business because they understand
the industry so well, plus they know us
personally and know what we are capable
of achieving."
Quentin says that one of the benefits of
having a family-run business is the culture.
"The main thing that separates a success-
fully-run family business from a purely
commercial enterprise is the care factor. If
people don't care about the success of the
business, then it just won't work."
William Gurry AO
Neil Dobbin
THE WORD
