4
We used to dream
ubout crossing borders.
Now we canjust do it 9
COVER STORY WH OLE SAIL/RE TAIL
Sander Pruijs, ad interim responsible for REs activities
in the Netherlands. In his opinion, what dijjèrence
will the new governing structure make
Sander Pruijs:
Sander Pruijs
This new structure allows us to put our strategy into practice.
The organisation charts really show what we do and what we
don t do. In the past, the market may have perceived us as a
bank that is all over place. Organising ourselves around Whole
sale and International Retail lends more focus to our activities.
To a certain extent the two will be managed separately. But
they do share the same value chain, so we have also provided
for the mechanisms that guarantee a consistent approach."
"Previously, everything we did was packed into regions. The
new management approach will be much more global, with
the cliënt as its point of focus. Taking down fences will create
new business opportunities, both for our clients and for
ourselves. We used to dream about crossing borders. Now we
can just do it. Think of all the opportunities that are waiting
for us in the M&A market: Rabobank is in an excellent position
to bring clients together from all around the globe. From
Australia to China, from China to India, from India to Germany."
management team will provide more central direction and
clarity and is better positioned to make choices," he says.
"But a smaller management team will also be in a better
position to manage the sales process." Lex Kloosterman has
been appointed as Head of Wholesale Clients International,
a new global róle that will focus on all international
Corporate Banking activities. He will manage the cliënt
relationship managers on the basis of a global vision
for corporate banking, focused on creating more
opportunities, making more links and, ultimately, adding
more value for the cliënt.
"With the new management in place, we will ensure a
renewed emphasis on clients and make clearer decisions
and choices," says Sipko Schat. "But we will also look for
creative initiatives when it comes to cliënt origination,
product development and product distribution. Besides,
we will try to exploit operational efficiencies and exercise
a tighter risk management. Capital will be managed more
centrally."
Berry Marttin expects that the new approach will offer
particularly great benefits in the form of exchanges of
knowledge and experience between the retail banks in
the various regions. "For example, Australia is an important
retail region for Rabobank International, where many major
farms bank with us. In the US, Wholesale has traditionally
played an important role, in particular on the East Coast.
Retail however is now also developing rapidly, especially on
the West Coast. "The new Rl governance structure will offer
us many more opportunities to make use of the experience
of our Australian colleagues and of retail colleagues
elsewhere, when doing business in California."
Another benefit of this new structure is that clients in the
International Retail division can benefit from the financial
products developed within Wholesale. "This is appealing
to Rabobank International, because large investments are
often involved in the development of these products,"
ISSUE 21 OCTOBER 20 THE WORD
