Rabobank has announced the appointment of Stefan Vogel as General Manager of its food and agribusiness research division in New Zealand and Australia.
Mr Vogel takes on the role after more than seven years with Rabobank in London, where he held two concurrent global positions with the bank – Head of Agri Commodity Markets Research and Global Grains and Oilseeds Sector Strategist.
In his new position, based in Sydney, Mr Vogel leads the New Zealand and Australian arm of the agribusiness bank’s highly-regarded global food and agricultural research division, RaboResearch.
In New Zealand and Australia, RaboResearch comprises a team of 10 specialist agri commodities analysts, who are part of a network of 75 research analysts worldwide focussed on providing comprehensive, leading-edge food and agribusiness research for the bank’s clients.
Announcing the appointment, Rabobank New Zealand CEO Todd Charteris said Mr Vogel brought a wealth of knowledge and experience in the global food and agricultural industries to his new role.
“We’re very fortunate to have Stefan heading up our RaboResearch team as he brings with him an international perspective as well as a proven track record of leading teams to deliver valuable, business-focussed sector and commodity research for clients around the world,” he said.
“In his new role, Stefan will oversee the bank’s research agenda and support the RaboResearch team in New Zealand and Australia as they provide market-leading knowledge and insights to our rural and wholesale clients in the region.”
Mr Charteris said Mr Vogel would be familiar to some of the bank’s local clients having joined a number of New Zealand grain farmers on the bank’s European grains tour in 2018 which took in visits to the Netherlands, Germany and Ukraine.
“In recent years, he’s also been a regular participant in online presentations and podcasts that have been shared with Rabobank clients in this part of the world,” he said.
Mr Vogel – who takes over his new role from Tim Hunt, who left the bank last year – has close to 20 years’ experience working in the international food, agribusiness and trade industries.
Prior to joining Rabobank, he worked for more than a decade in strategy and market research positions with international agribusiness Archer Daniels Midland, including in the US as Director Market Research & Business Analytics and in Germany as the Head of the Economics Department.
He holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Agricultural Economics from the University of Giessen, Germany.
Mr Vogel said he was delighted and excited to take on this new role in New Zealand and Australia.
“Both countries are world leading in so many aspects of food and agricultural production and I’m very much looking forward to the opportunity of working with rural and wholesale clients here and assisting them in their future growth,” he said.
Mr Charteris thanked Rabobank Senior Commodity Analyst Cheryl Kalisch Gordon, who had acted in the General Manager RaboResearch role until Mr Vogel’s commencement.
Rabobank New Zealand is a part of the global Rabobank Group, the world’s leading specialist in food and agribusiness banking. Rabobank has more than 120 years’ experience providing customized banking and finance solutions to businesses involved in all aspects of food and agribusiness. Rabobank is structured as a cooperative and operates in 38 countries, servicing the needs of about 8.6 million clients worldwide through a network of close to 1000 offices and branches. Rabobank New Zealand is one of the country’s leading agricultural lenders and a significant provider of business and corporate banking and financial services to the New Zealand food and agribusiness sector. The bank has 28 branches throughout New Zealand.
