Agribusiness banking specialist Rabobank has welcomed 13 recent university graduates to the bank's 2025 Rabo Graduate Program.
Since commencing its formal graduate program in 2023, the bank has launched the careers of a range of university graduates across the country, in locations spanning from Sydney to Geraldton in regional Western Australia.
Rabobank Group Executive, Chief HR Officer Belinda Webber said the latest cohort of graduates will join a program that provides the chance to embark on fulfilling careers with a leading global agricultural finance business.
"The graduate program participants will acquire skills, knowledge and experience while working at one of Australia's leading agri banks," she said.
The Rabo Graduate Program was recently ranked second in the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurers category of the Australian Association of Graduate Employers awards program and third in the 2025 Top Graduate Employers – Small Program category. These awards recognise organisations that provide the most positive experience for new graduates based on the opinions of the graduates themselves.
Ms Webber said the bank is thrilled that the "relatively new program" was acknowledged as being amongst the best places to work for new graduates entering the workforce.
"And the Rabo Graduate Program was also recently named on the Top 10 Most Popular Banking, Finance & Insurance Employer list and ranked 62nd on the Top 100 Most Popular Graduate Employers list – published by the Australian Financial Review and GradConnection," she said.
Ms Webber said these awards – published annually – celebrate the most popular graduate employers in Australia by industry – with employer's ranks based on actual measured student application behaviour from GradConnection.
Ms Webber said as part of the program, the incoming cohort of 2025 graduates would undertake placements in a range of Rabobank's business areas in regional and metropolitan locations, including rural banking, sustainability, risk management, technology, operations, legal, business transformation and finance.
"Each graduate will rotate across a range of areas within their chosen function as part of the program," she said. "And they will be able to spend time at a rural or regional branch – providing a customer-facing experience that allows individuals to develop a greater appreciation and a deeper understanding of Rabobank's unique method of client support."
One of the 2025 program cohort, Australian National University graduate Henry Rowley has recently started his first rotation with the bank and is working with the rural banking team in Toowoomba for the next four months.
Originally from a sheep and cattle farm near Goulburn, in New South Wales, Mr Rowley said he was excited to be working in Queensland.
"The grad program provides a great opportunity to work from a range of locations that I may otherwise not had the chance to. And having the opportunity to learn about the industries and commodities produced in those different regions and develop an understanding of their complexities is something really appealing about Rabobank's graduate program," he said.
During the program, Mr Rowley will also spend time working in Rabobank's head office in Sydney and plans to do rotations in the Adelaide and Cloncurry or Geraldton branches.
Rabobank's cooperative heritage and values were a major factor in attracting Mr Rowley to the bank. "I appreciate that the bank puts clients and staff first," he said.
Fellow 2025 program graduate, Molly Davidson, has commenced her first rotation in Rabobank's Perth office.
Each graduate is paired with a senior leader within the Rabobank team to provide mentorship and help graduates build their skills and knowledge and gain a broader understanding of the agricultural sector, with Ms Davidson matched with Rabobank's state manager for WA, Steve Kelly.
Ms Davidson said she was very aware of Rabobank as she was growing up at Lucindale in South Australia's south east. "The bank and the local staff support so much across the ag community – local shows and sales, field days, expos and royal shows," she said.
"Growing up in my family's farming business – two sheep studs and a commercial cattle and sheep operation – I had the chance to see first-hand my parents, sitting at the kitchen table, working with their bank manager. It's a role that requires not only an understanding of finance, but also an understanding of the challenges within farming and be able to provide support.
Ms Davidson said it was actually the area's local Rabobank manager who had inspired her to study agribusiness.
Ms Davidson completed a Bachelor of Agribusiness at the University of New England.
"Studying agribusiness allowed me to combine my passions for business and agriculture," she said.
Early entry applications for the 2026 Rabo Graduate Program will open from March 18, 2025.
