Rabobank has announced the appointment of Caroline Oosterbaan as Chief Executive Officer of Rabobank Australia and Regional Manager Australia and New Zealand, effective March 1, 2026.
Ms Oosterbaan will succeed Mark Wiessing, who is retiring after serving in both positions since May 2023, and after more than 20 years with Rabobank’s international operations.
Australian-born Ms Oosterbaan has a broad range of experience spanning international banking and finance, strategy consulting, mergers and acquisitions, entrepreneurship and supervisory roles. Most recently she has served as Global Head of Clients & Portfolio Management for Rabobank’s international Wholesale & Rural Business, based in the Netherlands.
Announcing the appointment, Rabobank Australia Chairman James Fazzino said Ms Oosterbaan’s extensive experience in international banking and finance and broader business – coupled with her strong connection to Australia – made her ideally suited to take over the role of leading the global food and agribusiness bank’s fast-growing operations in the Australian and New Zealand region.
“Caroline’s strong track record in senior leadership roles in international banking and finance and a range of other industries makes her very well positioned to succeed Mark Wiessing and continue the impressive growth of Rabobank in the Australian and New Zealand markets,” he said.
“Caroline has wide experience in banking and finance, strategy and leadership. Her strategic skills and ability to effectively manage a diverse range of responsibilities makes her well credentialled for her new role.”
Ms Oosterbaan has previously worked with NIBC Bank – where she spent five years as a member of the executive committee – and with ABN AMRO Bank. She has served as a director on a number of European boards, including in the food, retail, education, automotive/transport and not-for-profit sectors. She holds a Master of Science, in Business Economics, from Erasmus University in the Netherlands.
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.
Mr Fazzino thanked Mark Wiessing for his excellent leadership of Rabobank in Australia and overseeing the wider Australia/New Zealand region over the past three years, and Rabobank’s South American franchise in the eight years prior.
“Mark is a truly dedicated and focused leader who has set a clear direction for the businesses in the countries and regions he has led throughout his distinguished international career,” Mr Fazzino said. “Under Mark’s leadership, Rabobank has held its strong position as one of the leading lenders to the agribusiness sector in both Australia and New Zealand.”
Ms Oosterbaan said she was honoured to succeed Mr Wiessing and looked forward to further building on the bank’s strong foundations in the region to support its clients in their growth.
“I have a long and very strong connection to Australia, so it is especially meaningful to be able to contribute to supporting the vibrant and growing agricultural sectors here and in New Zealand,” she said.
Mr Wiessing said after a career of more than 40 years in international banking – with postings in 12 countries across five continents – he was delighted to “complete my professional life on a high note in the ‘lucky country’ Australia”.
“I am also fortunate to be able to handover my regional management responsibilities in the knowledge that I will be leaving them in the excellent hands of Caroline,” he said.
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About us:
Rabobank Australia & New Zealand Group is a part of the international Rabobank Group, the world’s leading specialist in food and agribusiness banking. Rabobank has more than 125 years’ experience providing customised banking and finance solutions to businesses involved in all aspects of food and agribusiness. Rabobank is structured as a cooperative and operates in 35 countries, servicing the needs of more than nine million clients worldwide through a network of more than 1000 offices and branches. Rabobank Australia & New Zealand Group is one of Australasia’s leading agricultural lenders and a significant provider of business and corporate banking and financial services to the region’s food and agribusiness sector. The bank has 87 branches throughout Australia and New Zealand.
