Rabobank collaborates with PaymentGenes on payments upskilling program
When Rabobank wanted to broaden payments knowledge beyond its core payments teams, the Dutch bank partnered with PaymentGenes to develop and deliver a tailored learning program. More than 150 employees participated, gaining a broader understanding of payment processes and the wider payments ecosystem.
Headquartered in the Netherlands, Rabobank is a cooperative financial services group with a strong presence in retail and corporate banking. The bank also has a global focus on the food and agriculture sector and operates in markets across Europe, North America, South America, and Asia-Pacific.
Payments are a fundamental part of the bank’s activities, connecting customers and businesses to the financial system through a range of payment methods, transaction processes and supporting infrastructure.
For employees working directly with payments, much of this knowledge is part of their day-to-day work. For colleagues in account management, client-facing and operational roles, however, developing a broader understanding of the payments ecosystem requires a different level of expertise.
Broadening payments knowledge
For these employees outside the core payments function, Rabobank wanted to strengthen payments knowledge and build a broader understanding of the ecosystem. This was particularly relevant in client conversations, where questions could require insight into how different elements of payments connect – from fraud prevention and transaction processing to settlement, payment methods and regulatory requirements.
The challenge was to develop a program that could accommodate different levels of experience. Some participants were relatively new to payments, while others already had substantial experience and were looking to deepen or consolidate their existing knowledge.
A tailored learning program
Rabobank worked with PaymentGenes to develop a Payments Learning Program. Rather than using a standard curriculum, the program was designed around Rabobank’s working environment, the payment topics most relevant to its employees and the knowledge gaps identified across different roles.
The program covered the fundamentals of payments, including how transactions move through the ecosystem, how payment methods differ, and the role of fraud, regulation and underlying infrastructure.
The training was delivered in cohorts of up to 20 participants. The relatively small groups were intended to allow participants to ask questions, discuss practical situations and connect the subject matter to their day-to-day responsibilities.
The program also catered to different levels of experience. Employees with limited payments knowledge could build a foundation from the basics, while more experienced participants could use the sessions to broaden and consolidate their understanding.
To support continuous learning, Rabobank and PaymentGenes established an ongoing collaboration, with regular check-ins and updates to the program as the payments landscape evolved.
Stronger payments knowledge across the organization
More than 150 Rabobank employees have participated in the program. The impact has primarily been seen in four areas.
Greater confidence in client conversations. Employees in account management and other client-facing roles gained a broader understanding of payments, giving them more context when discussing payments-related topics with clients and colleagues.
A shared payments vocabulary. By developing a common understanding of payments across different teams, the program helped employees communicate more easily about payment methods, processes and the wider ecosystem. This is particularly relevant in a large bank such as Rabobank, where product, operations and client-facing teams interact around payments-related issues.
Broader professional development. The training also served as a development opportunity for employees. Participants could build payments expertise beyond their immediate responsibilities, helping them understand how their work connects to the wider payments value chain.
Scalable knowledge development. The cohort-based approach allowed Rabobank to extend payments knowledge beyond specialist teams while accommodating employees with different levels of prior experience. This created a mechanism for developing payments capabilities across a larger part of the organization.
What Rabobank says
For Rabobank, the initiative illustrates how specialist knowledge can be extended beyond dedicated payments teams through structured internal capability building. Rather than addressing individual knowledge gaps as they arise, the bank established a repeatable learning program that can support employees as their roles and the payments landscape continue to evolve.
Antoinette Barnard, Head of Sales B2B Services, said: “A huge thank you to PaymentGenes for making this partnership such a success.”
Caroline Lanslots, Manager Partner Management and one of the participants, said: “Even with an advanced payments background, revisiting the full payments ecosystem through PaymentGenes was a valuable and worthwhile experience.”
Another participant, Chantal van Geerenstein, a Business Development Manager at Rabobank, noted: “PaymentGenes provides excellent content that is both broad and practical. It strengthened my overall understanding of the payments ecosystem while also offering insights and use cases I can directly apply in my day-to-day work.”
