Why curiosity beats growth mindset: rethinking innovation in banking's AI era with Rabobank's Roland van der Vorst

Episode 92 of Banking Reinvented explores how banks can navigate global uncertainty while building new value creation models for the future.

Host Tim Rutten sits down with Roland van der Vorst, Head of Innovation at Rabobank and CEO of Rabo Carbon Bank, to discuss what it means for a bank to provide stability in turbulent times - and why that requires looking outward, not just inward. Together, they explore how AI is reshaping banking from the inside out, why the biggest threat to banks isn't competitors but empowered clients, and the cultural shifts required to foster genuine innovation.

Tune in to hear why curiosity - not just growth mindset - is the foundation for navigating disruption, how professional services will split between commodity and specialty work, and what it means to translate future value into present-day benefits for clients.

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Timestamps

(00:00) – Welcome to the "Banking Reinvented" podcast

(00:25) – Introduction to Roland van der Vorst

(01:03) – What is Rabo Carbon Bank?

(02:09) – Global uncertainty and what's driving the turbulence

(03:44) – How our view of the future has changed across centuries

(06:17) – What banks should focus on: stability, balance sheets, and risk assessment

(07:08) – AI compared to electricity, not the internet boom

(08:49) – Why the client - not competitors - is the real disruptor

(12:16) – Examples of client-led disruption: M&A, wealth management, cross-sell

(14:47) – Three ways AI will reshape professional services

(18:17) – The irreplaceable value of human experience and judgment

(21:45) – Why curiosity is the key cultural driver for innovation

(24:09) – Curiosity vs growth mindset: what comes first

(26:44) – What sets humans apart from machines

(28:16) – New value creation models: risk-as-a-service and digital assets

(30:00) – Translating future value into present benefits: the Carbon Bank example

(31:29) – Key takeaways and episode wrap-up