The majority of thefour-hour
long discussion was between
usthe chairman and the
CEO, uhich is about as high
level as you can get
TH O UGHT LEADER SHIP
John Baker:
Understanding the issues that keep CEOs awake at night
is, for many bankers, the holy grail of cliënt relationships.
However, reaching such a level of understanding requires not
only an in-depth knowledge of your cliënt and their business,
but also the ability to be able to offer the insight, products
and solutions that can truly make a difference. According to
Lex Kloosterman, Head of Wholesale Clients International,
Rabobank's distinguishing feature is its deep F&A knowledge,
specifically within the area of research. 'This expertise was
exemplifïed recently in what we called the Thought Leadership
cliënt coverage technique, which we used to great effect when
we met with COFCO, a Chinese food industry conglomerate,
and one of our most important clients in the region.
"During the four hours on a Sunday afternoon that we spent
strategising with the COFCO management team - which
in itself is a tremendous amount of time to be discussing
business with, among others, the chairman and CEO of a
major company - we not only managed to address many of
the issues that currently concern the company, but we fully
connected with their strategie and fïnancial development.
It was a wonderful example of the technique in use."
One of the most important elements of the Thought Leader
ship cliënt coverage model is thorough preparation. With
key Rabobank International personnel based in different
cities across Asia, including Beijing, Singapore and Hong
Kong, this meant planning far in advance of what would
normally be expected for a cliënt meeting. Soh Hang Kwang,
CEO of Rabobank Singapore and Head of Wholesale Clients
International South East Asia, explains that the team began
working on the event three weeks in advance, with a number
of get-togethers for those Senior Relationship Bankers (SRBs),
regional Sector Heads and FAR team members working on the
account. "We knew that the cliënt was interested in how we
couid assist them in identifying, developing and strengthening
their wide business scope. We also knew that the chairman and
CEO wanted to deal specifically with strategy issues that can
map the future direction of the business. So our pitch had to be
much more than just a detailed sales pitch but also we needed
to demonstrate our understanding of the vision and ambition
of COFCO's Board of Directors. This is where our F&A thought
leadership shines."
ISSUE 27 MAY 201 RI WORLD
