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FIA National Roadshow 2023 off to a flying start

ARTICLE BY

  • Gareth Stokes
  • FIA Editor

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The FIA National Roadshow 2023 kicked-off with a well-attended Northern Region event, held at Momentum/Metropolitan’s Centurion head office, 15 March 2023. FIA Members were treated to a fast-paced “FIA only” programme featuring fellow members and representatives from the FIA secretariat.

FIA President, Butši Tladi, offered a 20-minute overview of the South African intermediary landscape, commending FIA members for their resilience over the past three years, and encouraging them to take a solutions-driven approach to industry challenges. She said that the FIA “punched above its weight” on international platforms such as the World Federation of Insurance Intermediaries (WFII). For those of you who do not know, Butši was recently elected as Vice President of the WFII and will proudly represent SA intermediary interests on the global stage.

Sam Williams, FIA Head of Legal and Regulatory Affairs, did an excellent job presenting local regulatory developments in the context of global regulation. She updated members on the path being set by the OECD and the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS), before commenting on the pending Conduct of Financial Institutions (COFI) Act; the dreaded Omni Conduct of Business Reports (Omni CBR) and the FIA’s ongoing engagements with local regulators.

FIA CEO, Lizelle van der Merwe, reported back on the FIA Brand Sentiment Analysis; FIA Intermediary Experience Survey; FIA ‘game plan’ and strategy; and the association’s focus for 2022-2025. “This is a closed conversation between FIA members,” said FIA CEO, Lizelle van der Merwe. “It is a conversation about the issues you face in your businesses, and an opportunity for FIA members to engage with us, so that we know where to focus and what we need to do”. She concluded that a strong value proposition to members was non-negotiable for the FIA, before pencilling in an ambitious target to increase the association’s membership to 3000 FSPs by end-2025.

Chair of the FIA Advisory Committee, Roy MacLahlan, was last up. He updated members on progress on a range of initiatives that were born out of representations to the annual Advisory Council. Noteworthy mentions included the CRM system; FIA brand and website refresh; FIA CPD platform; and FIA Member Communication Application. “The member is at the heart of everything we do,” MacLahlan concluded, “Your role is critical and your participation in this [and other] events is important to the association”.

The event flashed by, with the bulk of attendees staying on to enjoy a light lunch and networking opportunity. This face-to-face interaction is, after all, what defines the FIA and its intermediary members. We exist to ensure the sustainability of the financial advice profession and deliver fair outcomes for consumers of financial products and services.

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