Supervisory boards at local Rabobanks
The growing size and increasing complexity of local Rabobanks are making ever-higher demands on
individual supervisory board members. Increasingly, the supervisory boards comprise members having
wide and in-depth experience who together make up an optimum mix of complementing competencies.
This improves the'checks and balances'within the local Rabobanks and ensures a proper balance
between professional bankers and professionals from other disciplines. Using interactive, knowledge-
building programmes, Rabobank Nederland works to continually inspire and enthuse the more than 900
supervisory board members in order to optimise their performance. It does the same for the elected
Board members and appointed directors at local Rabobanks. In 2008, more than 1,000 of them attended
an induction programme or a knowledge-building workshop.
'Dichterbij' member magazine and member websites
Since mid-2008, local Rabobanks themselves may largely determine the contents of the 'Dichterbij'
member magazine, thus giving it their own, local hallmark.Through this magazine, local Rabobanks
inform their members and help give shape to their brand values 'near-by'and 'committed'. Although
the magazine has a local character, it reflects one Rabobank. Its concept combines general financial
information with background information on clients, members, the local community and their bank.
Special offers for members announced in the magazine are increasingly sustainable in nature. In 2008,
'Dichterbij'received a Customer Media Award in the 'Most innovative' category. According to the jury,
the member magazine 'is well-made and engages closely with its target audience'. Besides the
'Dichterbij' magazine, a growing number of local Rabobanks use an interactive member website for
their interaction with members. Site components include a poll, a document archive, special offers
for members, news items and a weblog, where Member Council members can blog with each other.
The member site is a showcase for the local membership policy.
Rabobank's cooperative dividend
At year-end 2008,95% of the local Rabobanks had a cooperative-dividend fund, often combined
with regional sustainability funds. On a national level, self-help, self-organisation and innovative
entrepreneurship are encouraged through the Rabobank Foundation, the Projects fund and the Flerman
Wijffels Innovation award. Rabobank uses the 'cooperative dividend' concept as a generic term for its
engagement and contribution to social activities. It comprises all the money and efforts invested in
the improvement of the economic, social and cultural environment, including sustainability initiatives.
Local Rabobanks distribute cooperative dividend in the form of money and/or voluntary work by the
Bank's employees or access to meeting rooms, copying machines, means of communication and the like.
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Report of the Executive Board
