Rabobank Cooperative Director Discusses Sustainable Growth with Wittenborg MBA Students

15.05.2025

Jochem Essink Highlights How Banks Can Support Local Communities and Initiatives

How can banks contribute to sustainable growth, focusing on local and global perspectives?

This was the question Rabobank Cooperative Director Jochem Essink addressed in the guest lecture he delivered to a group of Wittenborg students on 2 April. During his session, Essink, who has been in the banking sector for over 25 years, discussed Rabobank’s role as a cooperative and how the institution seeks to make a positive impact on society.

Among other topics, he highlighted that growth cannot always be measured in financial terms, but also involves biological, economic, personal and cultural dimensions: “This is a different approach on growth that is needed to tackle the challenges of today.”

Additionally, Essink pointed out that Rabobank’s cooperative dividends support multiple initiatives in the Netherlands that benefit neighbourhoods, clubs and associations. “Our members play an important role in this. The member council determines the amount of the contribution each year and also decides which projects will receive funding,” he commented.

The guest lecturer thanked Wittenborg CEO Maggie Feng for the invitation to speak to the students. “It was a great session, with lots of questions and an interesting discussion on what growth means from an economic perspective and also from a human perspective. The main message I wanted to share with the students is: Be the change.”

Marketing Communication and Information (MCI) student Sheryl Galera, from Curaçao, said the guest lecture gave her valuable insights. “Even though I’m not planning to work in banking, I found his experience really interesting and informative. Jochem also spoke about the Dutch education system and our academic level, which made me feel even more confident about the value of the diploma I’ll be earning.”

For Nigerian student Victoria Odunsi, who’s also studying Marketing Communication and Information, the session gave a good overview of both the successes and challenges the banking sector is currently facing. “As a marketing student planning to build a career in the Netherlands, it helped me see how working in a bank could actually be an option for me in the near future. Jochem also shared how he worked his way up to his current role at Rabobank, which gave me some useful tips on career growth and communication skills.”