RIAS
Rabo International Advisory Services (RIAS) offers consulting services and technical support to banks in the fields of rural banking, cooperative development and agricultural chain development.
RIAS also disseminates knowledge through studies and seminars, helping improve in both the expertise and the administrative quality of financial organisations in emerging markets and developing countries. Our priority lies in improving financing options for the bottom and middle layers of society, including farmers and SMEs in rural areas.
Here are some examples of the projects RIAS supports:
The Horus Agri Fund was established in Egypt in 2006. This is a venture capital fund that focuses mainly on participations in medium-sized Egyptian companies. Rabobank takes part in its management to provide the fund with agricultural expertise, to which end a Rabobank manager has been appointed locally who can draw on the knowledge available at Rabo International. A characteristic feature of Rabobank’s involvement with this fund is the way it unites the two main pillars of the international strategy, namely the focus on food & agri and the focus on development.
Last year RIAS dedicated at least three support people to the Principal Bank for Development and Agricultural Credit (PBDAC) in Egypt. Although currently still a state-owned bank, Rias is helping this financial institution transform into a private bank.
RIAS is assisting UBB Bulgaria by offering a credit line of EUR 10 million to SMEs and agribusinesses in rural areas. Rias also offers the Bulgarian bank operational support in product development, lending and HRM.
Following a diagnostic study, RIAS has prepared a strategic plan for the National Bank of Iraq (INB). The objective of the project is to allow SMEs and private clients in Iraq access to financial services. INB staff will be trained in Jordan as well as in the Netherlands.
Working in developing countries
Do you want to contribute and help build well-organised financial services in developing countries? Find out how to apply below.
What kind of consultants are we looking for?
The Rabobank Development Program is first and foremost ‘people work’. That is why we are looking for professionals who are interested in taking on the challenge of working at a financial institution in a developing country for a specified period of time.
Rabo Development obviously prefers to deploy Rabobank employees as consultants. After all, Rabobank employees have extensive banking experience and are better able than anyone to convey the Rabobank culture. However, external consultants with the appropriate experience are also invited to apply.
Rabo Development makes a distinction between long-term and short-term deployments.
Long-term deployments are missions that take one to three years.
For these deployments we are primarily seeking extremely experienced bankers who bring broad management experience (at least ten years). In the case of projects involving a participating interest in a financial institution, you will hold a management position and serve as a discussion partner for the local management. You will also be responsible for co-ordinating the activities of the consultants who are on short-term deployments. For long-term deployment, we envisage a candidate with experience of being a bank director or upper level manager. Having both local and centralised general banking and management experience will be considered a plus. Willingness to live in another country for an extended period is a must
Short-term deployments are missions for a few weeks or, at the most, several months.
You are eligible for a short-term deployment if you have expertise in one or more divisions of the banking field (at least five years). Examples include product development, ICT/MIS, distribution policy, credit lending, risk management, internal audit, payments, human resources, business processes, etc.
Consultants should also have the following general characteristics (for both long and short-term deployments):
- Excellent written and spoken command of the English language
- Academic intellectual and working level
- Team player
- Enterprising and flexible attitude
- Ability to think ‘out of the box’
- A ‘hands-on’ attitude and ability to put plans into practice
- Solution-orientation, result-focus and pragmatic approach
- Enjoy sharing knowledge and experiences
- Energetic and inspiring
- Open to other cultures
How to apply
You can apply to the Rabobank Development Program consultant database by filling in your profile (personal details, education, experience, etc.) via the link below. Before doing so please take notice of the following instructions: Admission to the Rabobank Development Program Consultant Database takes place in two steps:
1) Preliminary registration
Here you will be asked to summarise your knowledge and experience, the last position held and some personal details. This will take approximately 15 minutes to complete.
2) Full registration
Based on this preliminary registration, you will either be invited by email to complete a full registration in order to add your profile to our consultant database or you will be informed that your profile does not currently match our requirements. Full registration will take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
When registering your details within the Consultant Database, you will be entering your details in free-field textboxes. It is very important that you pay careful attention to entering the correct information in a complete and accurate manner as our recruiters carry out field-search selections within the database in order to export profiles into the different CV formats that are officially required by organisations such as The Worldbank and the EU.
If you would like to register, please click here.
Related information
- Rabo Development Program
- Rabo Development
- Rabobank Foundation
Contact
Rabo International Advisory Services B.V.
P.O. Box 17100
3500 HG UTRECHT
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 (0)30 216 36 70
Fax: +31 (0)30 216 36 77
Working in developing countries
Would you like to work in a developing country?