We have to think of the Rabobank organisation as a matrix 9 S Fred We enig: Leading by example Second nature Fred Weenig Defining moments delivering to the pillars. This cuts across the issue of whether someone is Wholesale Clients Europe or Wholesale Clients Netherlands. We're all part of a single team trying to create a value proposition for the F&A franchise. We're all on the same team, wearing the same team colours." Van Nieuwenhuizen admits this is something that we should deal with effectively and quickly. Rabobank's wholesale business launched a new strategyjust over a year ago built around cliënt focus and product leadership, but for a while the business was still being managed 'old style', based on individual P&Ls. 'That's changing very quickly now. We are starting to look at cliënt income and contribution to the pillars. From my perspective, for example, the key question is what can Professional Products do for leadership in the Netherlands and leadership in F&A internationally? And that's a question everyone in the wholesale business should be asking themselves." Howell agrees, adding that you cannot have a wholesale business without Professional Products. If Rabobank is to become a real all-finance player, it simply has to offer a comprehensive range of wholesale products to its corporate clients and grow its corporate cliënt base. "Key additional drivers are the restrictions of Basel lil, which will pressure pure lending. The primary way in which Rabobank will increase the size of its pillars is by selling more products that are not capital-intensive." To do this, Rabobank has to become a strategie partner for its clients. Van Nieuwenhuizen: 'This will only be achieved if we cooperate with each other more, both from a product angle and a cliënt angle. We need to get closer to our clients. So we can maximise the sale of products without having to invest too much scarce funding or capital." This all sounds remarkably logical, which raises the question of why this level of cooperation is not already second nature. Of course everybody is keen to cooperate, Weenig says, but it will never become a way of thinking unless Rabobank gets incentives right and finds a way to recognise everybody's contribution. And he agrees that management have to set an example, by working together more closely, rather than fighting about who gets credit for individual wins. Weenig says that he's seen a huge increase in cooperation in his time at the bank. Howell agrees: "Five years ago we were nowhere on GFM cross-sell into our wholesale cliënt base in Europe. Now we have around EUR 40 million in annual cross-sell and we're exceeding our targets each year. Why? Because we have set up dedicated sales teams, and started to focus much more on cross-sell." Another very important issue that has to be addressed, Van Nieuwenhuizen says, is the engagement process. The largest and most attractive deals are often the most complex. These are defining moments for the bank's clients, especially in terms of whether they see Rabobank as a real strategie partner. Rabobank has to spend more time at the beginning of the process thinking ISSUE 27 MAY 2011 RI WORLD

Rabobank Bronnenarchief

blad 'RI World' (EN) | 2011 | | pagina 15