Alphons Kurstjens' office is on the 12th floor of the
Mondriaan Tower, the second highest of the three
skyscrapers, with 32 floors, that dominate the skyline in
the east of Amsterdam. It is high enough to afford a
panoramic view of the historie city centre with its
15th-century Nieuwe Kerk and the Amsterdam Royal
Palace, dating back to the 17th century. At the same
time, it is low enough to stay in touch with what's
happening on the streets. The symbolism ofthis
position is something that Kurstjens, appointed as
Chairman of the Managing Board at Rabobank
Amsterdam in 2009, is eager to point out to visitors.
Kurstjens has strong bonds with the Dutch capital. He
says: "I have lived and worked in Paris, London and
Frankfurt - all of them fantastic locations - but
Amsterdam combines a better quality of life with all the
benefits of a metropolis. Numerous international
companies are headquartered here, close to Amsterdam
Airport Schiphol and the Port of Amsterdam. But it is
also a creative city, with art and culture and two
universities with which we have close alliances."
For Rabobank, Amsterdam also has key strategie
significance, according to Kurstjens. Many of the
country's major corporations are based there and it
has a sizeable market for Private Banking. "These are
precisely the segments in which Rabobank aims to
develop, and we are perfectly positioned to contribute
towards that," Kurstjens says. "We are currently
focusing our efforts on getting to know as many
companies as possible that are not already our
clients."
When international colleagues visit Kurstjens, he is
happy to share with them the characteristic
atmosphere of Amsterdam, starting right at the foot of
these skyscrapers. If they want to see even further than
his office's vantage point affords, he simply invites
them up to the upper floor of the Mondriaan Tower.
ISSUE 28 au RI WORLD
