Contacts with stakeholders
In performing its duties, the Supervisory Board focuses on the interest of the Rabobank Group,
with a view to which the Board judiciously balances the interests of the parties involved,
including customers, members, employees and society at large. The Chairman of the
Supervisory Board is in close contact with the Chairman of the Executive Board and consults on
a monthly basis with the internal auditor and the Group Compliance Officer. The Chairman of
the Supervisory Board, the Chairman of the Audit Committee, the external auditor and the
internal auditor meet at least four times a year. Several times a year, the Supervisory Board
receives information on relevant topics from directors and experts of Rabobank Nederland
during committee meetings, other meetings and continuing professional education sessions.
During the year under review, the members of the Supervisory Board attended, as observers,
meetings of Rabobank Nederland's Works Council and of the Group Works Council of Member
Banks on a rotating basis. Given the importance of these bodies in Rabobank's cooperative
model, the members of the Supervisory Board spend much time attending Regional and
Central Delegates Assemblies. The Chairman of the Supervisory Board is also theTechnical
Chairman of the Central Delegates Assembly, the Emergency Affairs Committee of the Central
Delegates Assembly and of the General Meeting of Rabobank Nederland. In addition, the
Chairman of the Supervisory Board attends the meetings of the Coordination Committee and
the Confidential Committee ofthe Central Delegates Assembly. The members of the
Supervisory Board also attend, as appropriate, conferences and information sessions for
members ofthe local board of directors and Supervisory Boards ofthe local Rabobanks or, on
invitation, meetings of local Rabobanks for their members. The Supervisory
Board or its Chairman, alone or together with the Executive Board or its Chairman, as
appropriate, maintains contact with external regulators, such as the Dutch Central Bank DNB,
the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets AFM and the Joint Supervisory Team (ofthe
ECB and DNB). By doing so, the Supervisory Board keeps in touch with developments at key
internal and external stakeholders.
Meetings
Meetings ofthe Supervisory Board
The Supervisory Board met seventeen times in 2014. This comprised both regular (nine times)
and additional (eight times) meetings scheduled.The meetings were also attended by the
Executive Board. The meetings were often followed by consultation ofthe Supervisory Board in
general committee. In addition, the full Supervisory Board met twice, without the Executive
Board being present, with representatives of DNB as part ofthe annual policy consultation and
the feedback ofthe results ofthe DNB risk analysis. In 2014, no member was repeatedly absent
from regular scheduled meetings ofthe Supervisory Board or its committees.
Committee meetings
The Supervisory Board has various committees. The Audit Committee and the Risk Committee
each met seven times. The Cooperative Affairs Committee met four times in the reporting year,
the Appointment Committee five times and the Remuneration Committee six times. No matters
were referred to the Appeals Committee in 2014. Several members ofthe Supervisory Board
served on temporary committees in 2014.
Annual Report 2014 Rabobank Group