Posted by on
03/03/2026
Melbourne-based Rabobank MAC Manager, Tom Bear
Tom Bear’s life is defined by a series of contradictions – a bookish farm kid, university degrees in commerce and the arts, living in the city while maintaining strong connections to the country, and a long-term career in banking and finance despite a penchant for the written word.
Yet it’s his lifetime of contrasting experiences that keeps this Melbourne-based Rabobank Major Agricultural Client (MAC) Manager thriving.
It’s also shaped a unique, and perhaps unexpected perspective on the role of a modern banker.
Sorting grain from chaff
“In my role as a bank manager, one of the core parts of my job is being able to tell my clients’ story. I go to their properties, spend time discussing their business, learning about their goals, their families – then it’s my job to convert this conversation into action by conveying their story to key stakeholders at the bank, so that we can help turn their aspirations into reality.”
“At Rabobank, we primarily support our clients through access to long-term committed capital – and as a manager, the key is ensuring effective two-way communication between the bank and the client, so we can be on the same page, getting things done, proactively and efficiently.”
“I’m in charge of translating conversations with clients’ held driving around in their Ute, into a concise report and spreadsheet back at the bank. The value I bring to my clients is ensuring that their story is not lost in translation, because in ag there is always a story behind the numbers.”
Having grown up on a sheep and irrigated cropping farm in Central Victoria’s Loddon Valley, Tom comes from a long farming line.
“Being from a family farm helps me appreciate the challenges and opportunities in ag”, Tom reflects, with childhood memories of moving sheep, wrecking old fences, weeding tomatoes, riding motorbikes and swimming in channels, creeks and dams.
Tom ‘on the tools’ drenching sheep in his spare time.
A graduate program straight out of university with a Big-4 bank has shaped his career, with experience ranging from being a bank teller in a local branch to being a credit analyst for some of Australia’s largest companies in mining and oil & gas, he embraced every opportunity along the way to learn and grow during his 14 years with them.
“During the early stages of my career, I was keen to build a broad base of experience from different divisions, different industries and also work in different locations.”
Regular progression between roles allowed Tom to maintain a steep learning curve and become a well-rounded banker, who understands the ins and outs of the end-to-end financing process.
“I enjoy ‘sorting grain from chaff’ and boiling things down to what really matters. When I’m talking to a client, I’m always conscious of how what they’re telling me relates back to the numbers in the spreadsheet, and how I can better understand and communicate their story.”
“It’s my role to advocate internally for why we want to continue backing our clients, investing in them long-term, but it’s also my role to respectfully challenge our clients to think differently, especially when it comes to risk, so they can be in a strong and resilient financial position.”
Aligning career with values
In 2018, Tom made the decision to focus his career on the agriculture sector.
Tom enjoys nothing more than getting out on farm supporting clients from the ground up.
Since then he has been working with major agribusiness clients, including some of Australia’s most prominent family-owned and corporate businesses. Leveraging his corporate finance experience and his family farming background in what Tom describes as a career “sweet spot”.
“I am privileged to work with clients who are leaders in their industry and respected contributors to their local community. I find it energising and inspiring to spend time with them, I learn a lot from them and have a prime seat at the table to discuss the future direction of agriculture.”
Tom enjoys the humbleness and unassuming nature of his clients – despite their profile, most meetings still take place at the kitchen table and involve multiple family members.
“I try to build a genuine personal connection with my clients that transcends our banking relationship. This is important, because you need to have honest, open and at times uncomfortable conversations.”
Twelve months ago, Tom joined Rabobank, and is relishing the challenge of learning the Rabobank way and connecting with new clients.
He identified Rabobank as an employer of choice due to its agribusiness focus.
“My goal is to use my skills to make a meaningful contribution to the sustainability and success of Australia’s agriculture sector.”
Tom’s rural background, coupled with his banking expertise, underpin his unique rapport with local farmers.
His experience with financial modelling, report writing and stakeholder management help the bank make sound financial decisions and give clients confidence in their long-term access capital.
He now manages a diverse portfolio of clients, comprising a mix of large farming families, corporate funds and post farm gate businesses in the agricultural supply chain.
“This job certainly keeps me on my toes, no two clients are the same and I need to be across a lot of different agri sub-sectors and regions. I work closely with the Rabobank rural manager network who have deep knowledge of their local area, we are also lucky to have access to the RaboResearch team who are happy to dive into specific questions for our clients.”
“Rabobank’s purpose of improving the prosperity of farmers everywhere and feeding the world really resonates with me, and I feel strong alignment with Rabobank staff who share these same values, which makes going to work every day, a pleasure.”
Tom is proud to be raising his young family with an appreciation for agriculture