Wholesale and
retail banking
should reinforce
each other 9
B When you took over as
Chairman, Bert Heemskerk
characterised you as a mediator
who can and will bring people
together, and as a cooperative
banker both by birth and
conviction. How do you feel
about that?
13 You have been working
for Rabobank in different roles
for 30 years now. Many people
have come to know you in your
various professional capacities.
However, little is known about
you as a person. Who is Piet
Moerland?
B What are your ambitions
upon taking the helm
of Rabobank Group?
B In your view, what is the added
value of Rabobank International
for Rabobank Group?
B In this respect, what do you
think of the revised structure
for Rabobank International?
M What is your message to
the staffat Rabobank International?
now, I am a supervisory director at Essent
Energy Group, a memberofthe Board of
the Netherlands Order of Accountants and
Administration Consultants (NIVRA) and
a member of the Board of Directors of the
Netherlands Bankers' Association (NVB)."
A "It is very flattering to hear that from
someone whom I respect for his leadership
of the Rabobank organisation.To piek out
the one point that I can comment upon
without making myselfguilty of immodesty:
yes, I have always believed firmly in the
cooperative structure that lends Rabobank
its specific identity. Even before I joined
this organisation, I recognised that being
a cooperative has great advantages, both
as a stimulus for customer focus and
as protection against market turmoil. So
you can count on me to strive to keep
Rabobank true to its roots."
A "Well, I was born in 1949 in the province
Zeeland - which, according to other
Dutchmen, explains my perseverance
and common sense. I am married, and my
wife and I have two great kids that we are
very proud of. I initially pursued a career in
academia, working as a research assistant
and receiving a doctorate in Business
Economics in 1978. After a brief spell as
a staff member of what used to be called
the Central Rabobank in Utrecht, I was
appointed professor in Business
Administration at Groningen University
and later in Corporate Finance at Tilburg
University. I believe strongly in the value
of combining theory and practice, so I
have held several supervisory directorships
throughout my academie career. Even
A "First and foremost, I want to manage
our bank through the crisis that is still going
on. Rabobank is coping quite well with
the economie downturn, especially in
comparison with our competitors. I trust
that eventually we will emerge from the
storm in excellent shape, with an even
stronger focus on the businesses that we
are best at - namely, our domestic
retail banking and our global Food and
Agribusiness franchise. This can only be
achieved as a joint effort, involving every
individual and every part of our organisation.
My ambition is for all of us to use the
synergetic opportunities within the Group
more effectively. That calls for even greater
collaboration between all areas - including
retail, wholesale, leasing, asset management,
real estate and insurance. I am convinced
that achieving excellence in collaboration
will take us to even higher levels of customer
satisfaction and value creation."
A "Rabobank International is our window to
the world. It enables our local member banks
to provide their customers with outstanding
financial services on a truly global scale.
Many of our existing business customers are
growing through international expansion.
We have an excellent reputation both in
domestic and in international markets,
and that will help us to attract even more
customers in the years to come. Furthermore,
Rabobank International has an important
role to play in our global ambition to be the
leading bank in Food and Agribusiness.
This focus sterns directly from our roots
in cooperative rural banking. Our revised
strategy entails an intensified focus on this
business, in wholesale as well as retail."
A "The new structure is based on the
distinction between wholesale and retail
banking. Wholesale banking is something
quite different from retail banking and,
as a result, requires a different kind of
management. In my view, making them
separate organisational entities was the
right thing to do. At the same time,
wholesale and retail banking should
reinforce each other - that is why I expect
close collaboration between both lines of
business in the various geographical areas.
So, that provides another opportunity for
organisational synergies.The new set-up,
with Sipko Schat and Berry Marttin as
driving forces, is perfectly tailored to our
international opportunities and ambitions."
A "I would like you all to be proud of being
part of our magnificent financial services
group. We expect most of our future growth
to come from you. But there is more to
our business than financial results. We also
need to honour our roots as a cooperative
enterprise, expanding in a prudent and
consistent way and pursuing cliënt intimacy
and customer satisfaction. I wish all of you
good luck in that dual effort. And I hope that,
as we move forward, Rabobank International
will continue to provide you with a professional
working environment that is both challenging
and rewarding."
issue 21 c: los; THE WORD 15