INSTITUTES IN ACTION | nc2012 revieW

he fourth cii Network conference in june brought together 120 members from 59 local institutes to aldermanbury, london for a forward-looking event, themed future and future risk. held during the ciis chartered centenary year, delegates were especially enthused by this years programme, which focused on setting objectives for the future, while providing an update on the ciis work and achievements. the institutes deputy president amanda blanc opened the conference by praising the work of the cii, saying it had, transformed

itself into a future looking organisation. cii chief executive officer dr alexander scott then set the precedent for the day by asking delegates to actively think about where next for the insurance profession. members next heard of the progress in exams and qualifications, the institutes aims to attract fresh talent, and the achievements of the Personal finance society, in a plenary session themed the future. the interactive breakout sessions held soon after were well received, giving delegates a special opportunity to share examples of best practice and thrash out ideas on how to shape their work as local institute council members.

Far left: The event kicks off Above Left: There was a lot of networking to be done Left: A glass of champagne at the House of Lords Right: The vox pops start Below: Graham Doswell receives his award

MOvINg FORwARD
The CIIs fourth Network Conference took place at Aldermanbury in June. Kin Ly was on hand to document the key moments from the day as the industry looks to the future

New talent

among the seven interactive sessions, delegates in one group discussed the significant issue of attracting young talent as one of their key objectives for the future. Kirsten watson, deputy president of Nottingham insurance institute, kicked off the discussion by highlighting the need to increase the number of young professionals on the local institute councils, and shared how her institute is addressing the issue: the only way weve attracted younger people is by running a young achievers event every year, and asking those who qualify to consider sitting on the council for a year. gareth roberts, deputy president of the insurance institute of mid Kent agreed that one of his aims going forward was to increase the number of young members. his institute also launched a young achievers event a bbQ attended by 50 young members which

helped enlist nine insurance professionals onto the mid Kent insurance institute young Persons council. looking forward, he told delegates: were also building this into our succession plan and one of the members on the young persons council is shadowing the treasurer of the full council, with the view of taking it over next year. the group also discussed the usefulness of key performance indicators and shared ideas on how to attract more people to their local institute events.

parliamentary reception

in the evening, the cii hosted a special parliamentary reception in the house of lords. around 190 delegates, including past local institute presidents, joined the cii for its first parliamentary reception in recognition of the local institutes hard work.

lord hunt gave the welcoming speech and praised the cii for building a reputation for professionalism and courageous integrity within the insurance and financial planning sectors, before members enjoyed a social evening of networking. delegates embraced the future theme and, for many, the take-home messages centred on attracting new talent and continuing to build professionalism through education. russell langham, president of the insurance institute of exeter, said his objective for the future was to continue attracting young members: weve got people who have been on the council for years and thats got to change, we need to move forward. meanwhile, Katherine Pawsey, deputy president of the insurance institute of jersey, added: the take-home message for me is about the future and really pushing cPd and education.

nC2012 voX PoPs

Whats the key benefit of local insurance institutes?
Debbie Mitchell, president, insurance institute of aberdeen: The local institute is where youll find CPD opportunities, meet like-minded individuals, and find great networking opportunities its fun! If you dont engage with your local institute, then youre missing out. Claire White, president, insurance institute of guildford: Insurance is a people business and when you get involved with your local institute, youre meeting people at all different levels, building the support structure that will help for the rest of your career. Mike Cranny, council member, insurance institute of manchester: A member joining their local institute will find excitement, fun, entertainment and great education. We have a lot going on in Manchester. For example, weve sold out of tickets to our fashion show, which last year raised 20,000 for charity. Richard Talbot-Jones, deputy president, insurance institute of Newcastle-upon-tyne: Theres a large age and experience range at the local institutes, so if you attend an event you could find an informal mentor and get an idea of what the next career move might be. Grant Scott, council member, insurance institute of leicester: Local institutes are a family that can give support, strength, and guidance. We need to encourage the younger members of the profession to join their local institute because, at the end of the day, its their future as much as its ours.

Panel membeRs
at this years Network conference 2012, the cii announced three awards: the service awards, the centenary awards, and the presidents awards, which publicly acknowledges and celebrates the work of those members who have demonstrated exceptional service to the insurance and financial planning sectors. ms blanc presented both the service and centenary awards at a lunch reception held in the great hall. the service awards went to: colin mcfarlin, vice president of the insurance institute of brighton; stuart robertshaw, president-elect of insurance institute of leeds; david sales chairman of committees at the insurance institute of london; and veronica wilkinson vice president of the insurance institute of york. cii president julian james later announced the presidents awards during the parliamentary reception. they went to two long-serving professionals of the insurance and financial planning sectors and dedicated members of the cii and Personal finance society graham doswell and dr Peter williams.

Left: CII deputy president Amanda Blanc opened the event Above: Sandy Scott, CEO, CII Right: CII President Julian James and Dr Peter Williams Above right: Guests at the first NC2012 reception at the House of Lords Far right: Engrossed in the day

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