Our people

General Members Council

The General Members Council (ALR) is Rabobank’s highest governing body. In the ALR, the members are represented by chairpersons of local supervisory boards. The ALR has about 100 members and meets four times per year. It is a member body, as only directly elected member representatives participate in it. The ALR has a broad focus and concentrates on the activities within the cooperative, local Rabobanks, subsidiaries and affiliated companies both in the Netherlands and abroad. Within the cooperative, the ALR fulfils the role of owner on behalf of 2.1 million members.

The ALR is responsible for the strategy and identity, the budget and the performance of the entire Rabobank organization. On behalf of the members, the ALR ensures that Rabobank’s role in society is a perceptible, tangible and visible part of its cooperative identity. The ALR reports on the execution of the strategy by the Managing Board and the supervision thereof by the Supervisory Board. The Supervisory Board is appointed by the ALR and its chair leads the General Members Council.

ALR members have a strong connection with the members. To this end, they gather information from entities including the local member councils in advance and are accountable afterwards for the decision-making process and their own position.

Governance

Rabobank is a cooperative bank. In the Netherlands that means a bank of members acting for society. Any customer 12 years or older can become a member of one of more than 80 local Rabobanks. Many of our customers become members because they feel involved in their community and what Rabobank contributes to it. Two million of our customers in the Netherlands are members.

The members give Rabobank its license to operate. They fulfil the role of the owner. They are part of Rabobank and are involved in all kinds of ways. Locally, regionally and nationally, physically and virtually, formally and informally.

Members and their communities are represented in the Local Members’ Council and Local Supervisory Board at each local bank. They are the bank’s eyes and ears locally and regionally.

Each Local Members’ Council appoints the members of the Local Supervisory Board. They make sure Rabobank lives up to its cooperative principles on a local level. At the level of a Regional Assembly, representatives from each council also keep an eye on how the directors implement cooperative banking in the region.

The Local Members’ Council appoints one of the supervisory directors to the General Members’ Council (or GMC) to represent members’ interests at Rabobank’s group level. The Managing Board and the Supervisory Board of the group are accountable to the General Members’ Council. The GMC makes the most important decisions about Rabobank Group as a whole, including its subsidiaries and foreign activities. Think of the bank’s strategy, identity, annual accounts and budget.

This structure based on members’ communities and local living environments formally guarantees that members continue to shape the cooperative Rabobank together locally, regionally and at the group level.

Documentation

Timetable (re)appointments Supervisory Board

Composition commissions of the Supervisory Board per December 7, 2022

Profile of the Supervisory Board

Managing Board

The Managing Board monitors the company’s targets, strategy and results. It is also responsible for compliance with all legislation and regulations, risk management and the financing of all activities. The Managing Board acts in the interests of the organization, its clients and employees in performing its duties. The Managing Board is accountable to the Supervisory Board and the General Members Council.

Supervisory Board

The Supervisory Board oversees the policies pursued by the Managing Board and the general procedure at Rabobank and its affiliated entities. The Supervisory Board also monitors compliance with all applicable rules. The General Members Council appoints the members of the Supervisory Board. Any perceived conflict of interest must be avoided.