Rabobank has announced the appointment of Mark Wiessing as CEO for Rabobank Australia and Regional Manager Australia and New Zealand. Mr Wiessing will succeed Peter Knoblanche, who will retire in May next year following seven years in the role and 27 years with the bank.
Mr Wiessing – who has served as Regional Manager South America and CEO Brazil for Rabobank for the past seven years – will commence in the position on May 1, 2023 (subject to regulatory approval).
Mr Wiessing joined Rabobank in 2006 and has more than 30 years’ experience in the financial sector, including postings in South America, Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe. Prior to Rabobank, he served with other leading financial institutions, including Standard Bank of South Africa, Citibank and ING.
Announcing the appointment, Rabobank Australia chairman Sir Henry van der Heyden paid tribute to “the outstanding contribution” of outgoing CEO Peter Knoblanche and said Mr Wiessing’s extensive international banking experience – including his past 16 years within the international Rabobank network – made him ideally suited to take over the role leading the global food and agribusiness bank’s fast-growing operations in the Australian and New Zealand region.
“We’re delighted to have an international banking executive of Mark’s calibre and experience to oversee the bank’s operations in the region, following Peter Knoblanche’s retirement next year,” Sir Henry said.
“Mark’s experience in leading one of Rabobank’s key international franchises, serving the top food and agri corporates and farmers in South America, will also help provide a seamless transition at the helm of Rabobank Australia.”
Mr Wiessing is a Dutch national and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Nyenrode Business University in the Netherlands and with an MBA from the University of Georgia in the USA.
The world’s leading specialist food and agribusiness bank, Rabobank is one of Australia and New Zealand’s largest agricultural lenders and a significant provider of business and corporate banking and financial services to the region’s food and agribusiness sector.
Sir Henry thanked Mr Knoblanche for his “exceptional commitment and contribution to Rabobank, the bank’s clients and employees” throughout his lengthy career with the bank.
“Under Peter’s leadership as Rabobank Australia CEO and Regional Manager for Australia and New Zealand – and his previous position as Group Executive Country Banking Australia – the bank has gone from strength to strength as a leading financial partner of Australia and New Zealand’s food and agribusiness industries,” he said.
“In keeping with Rabobank’s strong cooperative values, Peter has at all times put the very best interests of the food and agribusiness sector, our clients and our people at the heart of his leadership. His passion for agriculture and understanding of our business and our clients has been second to none and we wish him a wonderful, and very well deserved, retirement.”
Mr Wiessing said it was “an immense honour to be selected to lead Rabobank across the Australia and New Zealand region”.
“I am looking forward to relocating to Australia in the new year and continuing to support our clients in the region on their journey to sustainably build their businesses and also to build upon the strong culture across Rabobank’s Australia and New Zealand operations,” he said.
Mr Knoblanche said it had been “an enormous privilege to have spent a significant part of my career working at such an outstanding values-based organisation whose greatest asset is its people and their unwavering focus on our clients and their commitment to making a lasting contribution to the region, and the global food and agriculture industry”.
