Rabobank in business

It isn’t! My team’s role is to present a view of the global clean technology and renewable energy sectors, including wind energy, solar energy and biofuels. Our studies are used as marketing materials for Rabobank clients, as they help to demonstrate our expertise in these fields, and also internally, to educate local member banks as well as our project finance and relationship management staff across the world – right up to Board level.

But the studies are really the tip of the iceberg – we focus most of our efforts on providing commercial support to our colleagues, whether that is assessing a business plan, taking part in strategic discussions with a client or reviewing a credit application. Plus each member of my team organises workshops, speaks at conferences, writes articles and gives interviews to the media, all of which helps to promote Rabobank as the knowledge-based bank that it is.

This sector is hugely inspiring to me, as these technologies are used as a means to combat climate change, which I guess everyone appreciates. It is also a really exciting business to be in at the moment – it is a great growth area but it is very volatile, so you have to stay on top of global developments on a daily basis.

Since Rabobank’s ambition is to be a global leader in the Clean Tech area within a few years we are helping the bank to grow in the right direction, and by working with so many different departments we are gaining a great insight into all corners of this enormous banking group.

Yes, I have a passion for travelling and meeting people from other countries, so I travel wherever possible and have always looked to have a job with an international profile. I studied International Marketing Management at business schools in Denmark, the Netherlands and France, and I have also worked in Belgium as well as various cities in the Netherlands.  

Although I started my career in international staffing services and have also worked in the telecoms sector before switching to banking, the recurring theme in my career has been to build: new jobs, new procedures, greater knowledge and so on, and always in an international setting.

It has generally been a positive experience. I found it a bit difficult at first, as I came from the telecoms industry where you have very clear and hard targets, and I didn’t feel this was the case at Rabobank. After a few months, though, I realised that this was part of Rabobank’s charm, that you can pick up a job and do it your own way to make the best out of it.

First of all I think that having a great team is really important if you want to foster a good working atmosphere where people co-operate to get the best results. In that respect I have been lucky in that I had the chance to build my team from scratch, it is a great team.

I think we also need a lot of freedom to organise our work in the most effective way possible. You have to work in the research discipline in order to fully appreciate how a project should be organised, and again I have enjoyed that freedom since I started at Rabobank.

Thirdly, to get the best out of us it is important to ask the right questions. I can talk for days on the subject of biofuels but if someone wants to know something specific, such as the current state of the German biodiesel business, they have to be clear about that.

Finally, of course you need time and resources. Just like Rome wasn’t built in a day, so you can not become a global expert on wind power, solar energy or biofuels overnight.

Good question! In the past year-and-a-half I have been juggling between an existing job, writing and executing the business plan for my new team then hiring and training its members, also becoming a manager in a department that got turned around, etc etc.  So yes, you could say it has been quite a roller coaster. 

However, when I choose to do something I want to do it well and when you start up something new you should be aware that you are not likely to work from ‘nine to five’....which I never did anyway. I do try to find time still for going horse riding, playing sports, enjoying dinners and drinks with friends, as well as finishing our newly-built house.  Plus with the new team not so ‘new’ any more, the balance is improving. I can take time off once in a while and, as I mentioned, wherever possible I like to travel.

As Rabobank is growing its presence in the Clean Tech sector I believe there will be good opportunities for me to develop my career here, but right now I am totally focused on developing my team.

As an organisation, I think Rabobank offers flexibility to move jobs, particularly in the more traditional banking functions and if you are based in the Netherlands. In less banking-oriented support roles such as mine it takes a bit more creativity to find a next step. But at the end of the day everybody needs to be proactive if they want to move their careers forward, and it is good that this is encouraged at Rabobank.  

My impression is that the bank likes to keep and grow its employees for a long time if it can, and if you have ideas the bank is happy to support you. For instance, I have already had the opportunity to do a few ‘non job’ things, such as participating in an NGO-type working trip to The Philippines, and I have also worked for a month at our offices in India, which was a great experience.