Contents Management report Corporate governance Consolidated financial statements Financial statements Pillar 3
The evaluation was carried out on the basis of an online
survey and in-depth interviews with the members of the
Supervisory Board and Executive Board and on the basis of
a number of direct reports from the Executive Board itself.
In addition, questions were asked about, among other things,
the contribution of each member of the Supervisory Board
to the culture, their attitudes and conduct, the effectiveness
of each member, of each Committee and of the collective, as
well as about the relationship between the Supervisory Board
and the various stakeholders within and outside Rabobank.
The assessment identified several themes on which the
Supervisory Board intends to focus more closely. One of these
themes was referred to in the Annual Report 2014, namely that
due to increased legislation and regulation, the Supervisory
Board is having to spend increasing amounts of time on
oversight activities. This can mean that the roles of the Board as
supervisor, advisor and employer are no longer in balance - due
in part to fact that the most weight is now given to satisfying
the requirements and expectations of the external regulators, in
a timely and adequate manner. Although the relative weighting
of the different roles improved in 2015 (with more attention for
the employer role), the Supervisory Board would like to see the
balance restored further, in the sense that more attention can
be paid to its advisory role. In view of the strategic objectives
of Rabobank, the Supervisory Board would also like to pay extra
attention to the bank's customers and their changing needs.
Within the context of one Rabobank, the Supervisory Board also
intends to pay more structured attention to the international
businesses. Finally, the Supervisory Board intends to spend
time prior to each meeting having an open dialogue amongst
the members and/or with the Executive Board, without
a pre-set agenda.
Appointments and reappointments to the Supervisory
Board and succession planning
The areas of knowledge and experience, as well as other
qualities and competences that are considered to be necessary
at the time to operate optimally as a collective Supervisory
Board will be assessed at the time of each appointment
or reappointment, based on a long-term succession plan.
The succession plan is based on internal guidelines (such
as profile, position profiles and Supervisory Board rules of
procedure), as well as on external laws and regulations,
guidelines and codes (among others, the Policy Rule on
Suitability, Banking Code and EBA Guidelines on Suitability).
In the dynamic process of succession planning, the Supervisory
Board anticipates internal and external developments in
a timely manner, as a result of which the professional and
adequate performance of the Supervisory Board remains
guaranteed as far as possible.
In June 2015, in accordance with the schedule for resignation
by rotation, Cees Veerman would have had to resign as
a Member of the Supervisory Board of Rabobank. However,
Mr Veerman, who was eligible to be reappointed, had already
indicated that he did not wish to pursue a third term of office
offouryears. In spring 2015, MrVeerman had already made it
known that he wished to apply himself to the restructuring of
the Dutch greenhouse horticulture sector. Within this context,
MrVeerman resigned his supervisory position at Rabobank on
7 March 2015. The Supervisory Board would like to thank Mr
Veerman for the knowledge and experience that he brought
to his office since 2007 as a member and the Vice Chairman
of the Supervisory Board and as Chairman of this Supervisory
Board's Cooperative Issues Committee. His agricultural expertise
makes him ideally suited for an active role within greenhouse
horticulture, which is an important sector for Rabobank as
a food and agri bank.
In mid-2015, the Supervisory Board put forward the proposal
to nominate Marjan Trompetter as a Member the Supervisory
Board. MrsTrompetter has been actively involved in the
Rabobank organisation for a considerable time covering
positions such as Vice Chair of the Supervisory Board of
Rabobank North Veluwe and Chair of the Local Committee
Board of Directors Gelderland-Flevoland, as well as being
a member of the Central Delegates Assembly, and of the
Committee on Confidential Matters and the Emergency
Affairs Committee of the Central Delegates Assembly.
MrsTrompetter is extremely well-versed in the local banking
world, has expertise in the area of business administration,
and a quality and process focus. She is specialised in
organisational development and has, among other things,
examined transformation issues in-depth, focusing on quality
improvement. On 23 September 2015, at an additional General
Meeting, Marjan Trompetter was appointed as a Member of the
Supervisory Board of Rabobank, helping to fulfil the wish to
increase both the gender and age diversity in the Supervisory
Board.
On 6 November 2015, Henk van Dalen temporarily stepped
down from the Supervisory Board in connection with
an investigation by the Public Prosecutor at VimpelCom, where
MrVan Dalen was employed as Chief Financial Officerfrom July
2010 to September 2013.
162 Rabobank Annual Report 2015
