Welcome to a new Institute year!

 

First of all I would like to thank Rachel for a very successful year; we have had some very good events, building on our past success and once again, a very successful dinner following our return to the Royal Berkshire Conference Centre at the Madejski stadium. Rachel was the instigator of the ‘2 year deal ‘.It proved to be a good negotiation tool and helped us to get the Dinner the way we wanted it at the costs we wanted. In fact we are about to negotiate our dinner contracts for 2009, 2010 and 2011 using the feedback from this year’s event.

 

Congratulations must go to Rachel in spearheading our most successful fundraising year ever.  We raised £2331 for the Insurance Charities, £4750 for her nominated charity Cancer Research UK where she and I received overwhelming support for our 5k ‘run’ last July and again at the Dinner; £1210 at the dinner for the British Heart Foundation. Our thanks go to Jonathan Evans of Martinez and Partners for his donation of £1000 for the auction of the signed Reading FC shirt.  At our 3rd Annual Golf Day in June last year, we raised £100 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association whom we continue to support in memory of Andrew Bickerton. Details of the next Golf day on 12th June have been issued. Thank you for your support.

 

This is a special year for me- it is the second time that I have stood as President (my first stint was in 1999-2000) and it is also my 30th year in insurance!  I joined Royal Insurance in 1978, moved to Sun Alliance in 1998, on to Ellis &  Buckle Head Office in Apex Plaza and then to Goss & Co (now Jelf) in 1996.  In 2001, I became self-employed as a consultant working for the general insurance industry in compliance, training, tuition of professional insurance qualifications, risk management and event management and in January 1997 set up my limited company, Ametrine Management Consulting Ltd.  

 

The British Heart Foundation is my nominated charity and a special local community project that they are hoping to raise funds for- specialist heart equipment at the Royal Berkshire Hospital including 2 ECGs and a Cardiac Echo machine which will not only be used on the hospital premises but out in the Berkshire and Oxfordshire areas.

My objectives during the coming year are to:

 

• continue our educational record and ensure that we hold quality events. The diary will be published at the beginning of July but check the website for forthcoming events;

• raise market awareness of the new qualifications that the CII have on offer, and the Apprenticeships in Retail Financial Services, that are  linked to CII qualifications and offer government funding to many existing employees and new employees;

• hold two special events-one to thank sponsors of dinners, supporters of events and major players in the market on 15th May and secondly, to meet with our Young members and attract other young employees in the insurance offices into CII membership and let them know how we can support them- that will be a lunchtime event on 3rd Sept;

• stage a careers event next Spring, with the support hopefully of insurance and financial services employers to coincide with the launch of the new 14 to 19 Diploma in Business and Finance in Schools and attract young people into the insurance and financial services market;

• work with our Personal Finance Society-Thames Valley Region members and their Chairman Andre Davidson to ensure that we offer events for our PFS members and joint events of interest to all our members;

• continue to work with the South Central region of local institutes following my stepping down from the CII Council to support our new regional representative, Graham Williams of Luton & St Albans institute and organise a regional event

• raise funds for the Insurance Charities-Charities Day is on 20th June  and the British Heart Foundation local project at Royal Berks Hospital

 

I am also very pleased to welcome Ken Dawson as my Deputy this year; NIG have had Presidents in several institutes around the country and we were determined that they should have a chance at Reading!!

 

I look forward to working for you all again in 2008-9. Please do not hesitate to contact me or any of the council members if you need assistance or would like to let us have your ideas for events you would like to see.

 

Karen Rose FCII FIRM
Chartered Insurance Practitioner
President
May 2008