Rabobank Australia and New Zealand has appointed Karin van Selm as group executive for wholesale banking.
In her current role, as the bank’s general manager of corporate banking, van Selm provides for the increasingly complex requirements of Rabobank’s large corporate clients operating in the food and agribusiness sector.
She’s worked in her current role with Rabobank since January 2016.
Rabobank Australia and New Zealand managing director Peter Knoblanche said van Selm was ideally placed to take on the position of group executive to ensure a seamless continuation of the expansion and development of Rabobank’s wholesale banking operation.
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“Karin has extensive experience and exceptional understanding of the corporate banking needs of major companies involved in the food and agricultural sector,” said Knoblanche.
Rabobank is one of Australia’s largest agricultural banks and a major provider of specialist corporate financial services to the region’s food and agribusiness sector.
Van Selm worked in structured finance at ING Barings, before moving to Australia in 2005, from the Netherlands.
She then joined Westpac, where she worked in various roles in the banking consumer and agribusiness team.
She holds a Master of Laws, specialising in international tax and economics.
Van Selm said the future opportunities for Australia and New Zealand’s corporate food and agribusiness were exciting, with both countries producing world-class agricultural produce and with rapidly-growing export markets.
“That said, businesses in the F&A sector are challenged to remain competitive in the various commodity markets, faced with increasing costs of labour, water, energy and insurance, as well as stricter regulatory environments,” she said.
“Rabobank, with its both global and local reach in food and agriculture, and its deep understanding of the various segments of the agri market, is well positioned to enable, facilitate and connect our clients in the value chain and support them with their growth ambitions,” said van Selm.
She will start the new role on the 1st of August, taking over from Els Kamphof, who has been appointed to head the regional wholesale banking operations in the Netherlands and Africa.