18 December 2003
GrainCorp managing director Tom Keene has been appointed to the Rabobank Australasian Advisory Board.
Mr Keene joins a number of other industry leaders on the board, which is responsible for advising Rabobank's Australian and New Zealand operations on strategic agribusiness and agricultural issues.
Rabobank Nederland today also announced the nomination of former European Central Bank President Wim Duisenberg for appointment to its Supervisory Board.
Rabobank is the world's leading food and agribusiness bank and a major lender to rural Australia and corporations operating in the food and agribusiness sector.
Announcing the appointment, Rabobank Australia & New Zealand CEO Bruce Dick said Mr Keene brought extensive knowledge of the grain sector and general agribusiness management to the Advisory Board.
"Tom has headed GrainCorp since its acquisition from the New South Wales Government in 1992. In that time, he has led the organisation through an extensive program of modernisation, expansion and diversification," he said.
"This has included taking GrainCorp to public listing on the ASX, the merger with Vicgrain and the purchase of Allied Mills. Most recently, it has involved the acquisition of Queensland-based Grainco Australia."
Under Mr Keene's stewardship, GrainCorp has evolved into a leading Australian agri-food business and a major industry participant in bulk logistics, grain trading, farm inputs and logistics. Through its interest in Allied Mills, it is also the largest miller of flour for human consumption in Australia, with operations in every mainland state.
Mr Dick said the Rabobank Australasian Food & Agribusiness Advisory Board played an invaluable role in advising the bank's board of directors and senior management on industry issues and activities.
Rabobank Australia is a part of the international Rabobank Group, the world's leading specialist in food and agribusiness banking. Rabobank has more than 100 years' experience providing customised banking and finance solutions to businesses involved in all aspects of food and agribusiness. Rabobank has a AAA credit rating and, in recent years, has twice been awarded the title of the world's safest bank by Global Finance magazine. The bank operates in 35 countries, servicing the needs of more than nine million clients worldwide through a network of more than 1900 offices and branches.
Rabobank Australia is one of Australia's leading rural lenders and a significant provider of business and corporate banking and financial services to the Australian food and agribusiness sector. The bank has 42 branches throughout Australia.
Contact
For further information please contact Denise Shaw, Public Relations Manager (Tel: +61 2 8233 8744) or email on sydney.mediarelations@rabobank.com.