Tue 15 Mar. 2016

Report of Exeter Institute 2015-2016

The Exeter Institute began the year with a new president, Mark Fowles, who is a partner with Browne Jacobson, sponsors of our dinner and of the David Grimley Young Professional award. Mark is the second lawyer of recent years to become president of Exeter Institute, following Darren Salter of Veitch Penny in 2006-2007.

The institute's primary function is to offer and provide Continued Professional Development learning events to the membership. In this respect it has been another active year. Exeter had its CII Accreditation confirmed and was therefor able to offer the following events across CII and PFS disciplines; exceeding the performance standard of 10 events or 16 hours for a membership of 1,500+.

  • Restoration following damage: British Damage Management Association
  • Challenges facing investors in 2015/2016: Invesco Perpetual.
  • Pensions 6 months after the budget reforms: Royal London.
  • Oil prices and deflation: Invesco Perpetual.
  • Goal setting that really works: Chartered Institute of Management Accountants
  • Cyber security: Paul Rolison, Yellowfin.
  • Markets, Brexit and economic indicators: Invesco Perpetual.
  • Questioning and information gathering techniques for insurance professionals: Jeff Heaseman, the Pyramid Group
  • The Insurance Act 2015: Browne Jacobson
  • Utilising Enterprise Investment Schemes: Ingenious Group
  • The reality of a fire: Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue.
  • 2016, a better year for financial markets?: Invesco Perpetual.
  • Business Interruption full day workshop: Rod Smith, CII trainer.

It will be noted that the weight of events is on the PFS sessions. Ever since CII asked local institutes to do more for the financial services members, this institute has endeavoured to provide CPD. The excellent foundation work done by Peter Blackburn from 2012 has been continued by Peter Harrison and now joined by Theresa Atal. The institute is also grateful for a series of linked presentations by Neil Dobson of Invesco Perpetual.

On the social side, the institute has offered 3 events as part of the Joint Professions Networking Group, and the ever popular quiz night in November.

The 94th annual dinner at Sandy Park was attended by nearly 200 people, at which the CII national president was represented by John Moore, deputy president of CII. The Insurance Charities and Hospiscare benefited handsomely from the charity draw which was held at the dinner.

Latterly the president, deputy president, Consultant and Regional Membership Manager have been engaged in addressing how the local institute will function following the retirement of the Consultant to Exeter at the annual general meeting in April 2017. Organisation and administration may be devolved amongst other members of Council and CII from then. This will be one of the subjects to be settled during the next 12 months, in order to ensure a smooth transition from the current arrangement to the future operation of the local institute.