A trip to head office.

7.00 AM

Wake up and get ready for the day ahead. My hotel is only a short walk from the Rural Bank Office in Adelaide, so I can afford to sleep in a bit later than usual!

7.50 AM

Met Kirk, one of the other Ag Achiever Grads, in the lobby and head down to the office, to meet up with the rest of the group – today we are going on a farm visit.

8.00 AM

Tom, one of the Agribusiness Relationship Managers, picks us up (a load of Rural Bank new starters) outside of the Adelaide Office, before heading out to one of our client’s properties. On the bus, we head due South towards one of South Australia’s renowned wine-producing regions, the McLaren Vale. Around halfway there we make a much-needed pitstop for coffee, before seeing out the rest of the trip.

9.30 AM

We arrive at the McHugh’s farm and sit down for a cuppa to hear about the farm and family history, along with future plans. 

As it turns out the farm has been in the family since the 1940s, where it started as a small dairy running about 60 head. Since then the farm has grown significantly to a mixed farming operation, consisting of dairy and cropping, as well as contract harvesting to other farms in the region. It is also evident that the farm is a true family operation, with two of the three McHugh children having returned to the land to take part in the family business.

Mr McHugh is also chair of the local Community Bank which is a partnership model of Bendigo Bank. Community banking means profits are returned to the communities that generate them. Writing business through these channels is one way Rural Bank is able to support local communities, something Mr McHugh is passionate about.

10.30 AM

After hearing the family story, we head out for a look at the farming operation. Being from the North West Slopes and Plains of New South Wales, I had never visited a dairy farm before, so learning about the facility and how it works was completely new for me.

Rural Bank staff getting an overview of the McHugh's dairy operation.

12.00 PM

We say our goodbyes and thank Mr McHugh for his time. Back on the bus and we are bound for Adelaide.

The business is truly lucky as our clients welcome meet and greet opportunities like this. Not only does it prove a solid relationship exists between client and banker, but it also gives new staff the opportunity to listen and learn about our client’s needs.

1.30 PM

Back in Adelaide, I grab lunch with some of the other grads.

2.00 PM

I will be spending the rest of the afternoon with David Bache, Rural Bank’s Company Secretary and Senior Legal Counsel.

First up we sit in on a project meeting about electronic signatures. This project aims to make it easier for the Bank and its customers to sign documents in the digital age, instead of putting pen to paper and sending by old fashion snail mail. However, the law is often one step behind, making it difficult to implement new efficient business practices.

3.00 PM

Next, we sit in on the Management Operational Risk Committee which is comprised of mainly Senior Managers and Executives. The Committee discussed a wide variety of risks events, from that relating to Financial Crimes, to Finance and Treasury. It was really interesting to hear how the business reports events, identifies potential risks for exploration and rolls out risk-related training to staff.

4.30 PM

I catch up with David one-on-one to discuss doing one of my grad rotations in the legal department. It looks like this is on the cards as one of the Bank’s Legal Counsel is currently away and there are numerous projects on the go – I’m excited!

5.00 PM

Home time. The day is over and I need to be at the airport by 5:30 pm, to catch my 6:30 pm flight home to Brisbane!