Rabobank Australia Limited has announced the appointment of James Fazzino to its board.
Mr Fazzino, the former Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of global diversified industrial chemicals company Incitec Pivot, joined Rabobank's Australian board effective May 11, 2020, filling a position vacated by retiring director Andy Borland, who has recently been appointed as Chair of Rabobank New Zealand Limited.
Part of the global cooperative Rabobank Group, the world's leading specialist food and agribusiness bank, Rabobank Australia is one of the country's leading agricultural banks and a major provider of corporate and business banking services to the food and agribusiness sectors. It also operates online retail savings and deposits business Rabobank Online Savings.
Announcing the appointment, Rabobank Australia Chair Sir Henry van der Heyden said Mr Fazzino was a "highly-respected and experienced business leader, with a strong track record in the agricultural sector and wider business world".
"James has had a lengthy and very successful career in the international chemicals industry, which has included a close involvement in agriculture, through the agri fertiliser and agro chemical businesses," Sir Henry said.
"He has a particularly distinguished record in business growth and development. Under James's leadership, Incitec Pivot transformed from a domestically-focused Australian fertiliser co-operative to become a global diversified industrial chemicals company operating in 13 countries and with market capitalisation growing from $4 billion to $7 billion during his tenure as CEO."
Sir Henry said Mr Fazzino also brought a broad range of skills and attributes to the board.
"In particular, he is a passionate advocate of gender diversity and, during his time running Incitec Pivot, he oversaw the doubling of women in senior management positions in the company from 2012," he said. "He is also a strong promoter of developing the next generation of industry and business leaders though his involvement as an adjunct professor with the La Trobe University Business School."
A Fellow of CPA Australia, Mr Fazzino served as Chief Financial Officer at Incitec Pivot, an ASX-listed top 100 company, for six years before being appointed CEO in 2009 – a position he held for eight years.
Mr Fazzino also sat on the Incitec Pivot board until 2017.
He is currently non-executive director of Australia's leading energy infrastructure business ASX-listed APA Group, as well as Chair of Manufacturing Australia and Osteon Medical. He is also Vice-Chancellor Fellow at La Trobe University.
Mr Fazzino has a Bachelor of Economics with Honours from La Trobe University.
Sir Henry van der Heyden paid tribute to departing Rabobank Australia director Andy Borland, who has served on Rabobank's Australian board since 2016.
New Zealand-based Mr Borland, who is managing director of diversified agribusiness Scales Group, was last month appointed Chair of Rabobank New Zealand.
"Andy's wealth of knowledge and experience in both agribusiness and banking and finance have been a great asset to the board and we are very pleased Rabobank will continue to benefit from his involvement with our New Zealand business."
In addition to Chair Sir Henry van der Heyden, Mr Fazzino joins other directors of Rabobank Australia – Anne Brennan, Jillian Segal, Berry Marttin, Sander Pruijs, Geerten Battjes and Peter Knoblanche (CEO Rabobank Australia).
