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BENCHMARK Symposium 2012

Savings Heroes

In a World of Growing Uncertainty and Rising Costs, South Africa Needs Heroes More Than Ever

In 2012 South Africans are faced with more uncertainty than ever before.

Over the past few years we’ve watched as the recession deepened, unemployment grew and with it the cost of living.  In these trying times, with so many people trying to make ends meet or simply living day to day, planning for the future isn’t a priority for the majority of South Africans.  The stark reality is that every year more and more South Africans face poverty in retirement, and feel powerless to change their fate.

The 2012 Sanlam BENCHMARK Symposium looked at the stories behind the numbers, as we tried to find true savings heroes; those who have taken responsibility for their futures, and those industry role players who work tirelessly in the background to ensure affordable retirement for all members.  Finally we asked whether Retirement Reform will become the ultimate Savings Hero South Africa so desperately need?

We also asked a few people to share their saving stories with us.  Watch the interviews with these savings heroes to find out what plans they made to ensure a better future for themselves and their loved ones.

Benchmark Symposium 2012 Presentations:

Click on the relevant link to download a pdf version of a speaker's presentation (linked to topic).

1st session (Institutional):

Victor Kambule: Regional Manager, SEB: Distribution
Opening and Perspective

Danie van Zyl: Head: Guaranteed Investments, SEB: Structured Solutions
Symposium Survey Results

Viresh Maharaj: Chief Actuary, SEB: Group Risk
Risk Benefit Trends

Cora Fernandez: MD of Sanlam Investment Management
Responsible Investors

Robert Roux: CEO of Sanlam Employee Benefits
Industry Perspectives given the Status Quo

David McCarthy: Guest Speaker
Retirement Reform – Perspectives from the National Treasury

Kobus Hanekom: Head: General Consulting, Simeka Consultants & Actuaries
Retirement Reform – How Should Employers Respond?

David Gluckman: SEB: Future Positioning & Research
Retirement Reform – The Umbrella Fund Response

Richard van Dijk: General Manager, SEB: Distribution
Retirement Reform – Is there a Role for Intermediaries in the Future?

Dr Johan van Zyl: Sanlam Group CEO
The Importance of Financial Education

2nd session (Retail):

Victor Kambule: Regional Manager, SEB: Distribution
Opening and Perspective

Robert Roux: CEO of Sanlam Employee Benefits
Industry Perspectives for Symposium 2012

Danie van Zyl: Head: Guaranteed Investments, SEB: Structured Solutions
Symposium Survey Results

Cora Fernandez: MD of Sanlam Investment Management
Responsible Investors

David McCarthy: Guest Speaker
Retirement Reform – Perspectives from National Treasury

Deon Theunis: Senior Manager, Sanlam Cobalt Distribution
Member Focus Group Research

Maya Fisher-French: Guest Speaker
Consumer Financial Education & Member Communication

Lizelle Nel: Head: Actuarial Analysis, Sanlam Personal Finance
TCF and the Role of Information

BENCHMARK Symposium 2011

CREATING THE CONSUMER

How to Make Retirement Relevant to the NOW Generation


Why do users choose one product over another? What draws people to particular brands? Consumerism is defined as the tendency of people to identify strongly with goods or services they consume. From an industry perspective it’s about selling people what they want rather than a redundant notion of what they ought to have.


Modern day consumers are more educated, more discerning. Globalisation and the Internet have meant that most information is just a mouse-click away. What’s more, social networking (like Twitter and Facebook) and online review forums and blogs have meant that people are starting to rate peer evaluation over traditional advertising.  Read more ....


From Member to Consumer


BENCHMARK SYMPOSIUM

Where the future of the retirement industry is shaped.

 

Click on the relevant link to download a pdf version of a speaker's cv (linked to name) or presentation (linked to topic).

 

Dawie de Villiers: CEO of Sanlam Structured Solutions
Last year on Benchmark Symposium Live

 

Wagieda Suliman: Market Intelligence Consultant
30 years of researching a moving target

 

Johan van der Merwe: Chief Executive: Sanlam Investments
There’s no point in keeping this all to ourselves

 

Danie van Zyl: Head: Guaranteed Investments, Sanlam Structured Solutions
If you believe in the law of averages

 

David Gluckman: Managing Director of Sanlam Umbrella Solutions
Have we got the focus wrong?

 

Nersan Naidoo: CEO of Sanlam Multi Managers International & Phillip Mjoli: Head: Institutional Business Development
Get the clippers out we have a hedge fund to trim

 

Phelisa Ngonyama: Head of Institutional, Sanlam Employee Benefits
Did someone forget to tell the members what’s going on?

 

Ilizma De Kock: Head: RFA Sanlam Umbrella
The communication paradigm shift - from apathy to enthusiasm

 

Victor Kambule: Regional Manager, Distribution Support
Learning from those who never learned

 

Bruce Whitfield: Financial Guru / Ace Conference Facilitator / MC & Speaker /
TV Presenter / Voice-over Artist
The death of retirement

 

Viresh Maharaj: Group Risk Actuary, Sanlam Group Risk
There’s no smoke without fire

 

Steven Burgess:
BScBA (Marketing) - Ohio State, PhD (Marketing) - Witwatersrand
Professor of Business Administration in Marketing - UCT Graduate School of Business
Don’t expect consumers to behave the way you think they should

 

Johan van Zyl: Group CEO of Sanlam
Live for today and worry about tomorrow... tomorrow!

 

Kobus Hanekom: Head of General Consulting, Simeka Consultants and Actuaries

Begin with the end in mind



BENCHMARK Symposium 2010 

Tomorrow will be decided today.


It’s the 12th of November 2010, a day when the Government announced the creation of a new portfolio and the appointment of a Minster of Pensions. For many, it is a step taken too late as they deal with a legacy that has left breadwinners now unable to afford bread, but for millionsmore there is now hope for the future.

 

For our new Minister, there are hard days ahead. Days filled with tough questions – the type of questions we are here to ask today. We have the power to change the powers-that-be, and we are the ones who will decide how we can change things for the 95 out of every 100 South Africans who will face a retirement in poverty.

 

Pensioners have marched on Parliament. Petitions have been signed. The country has asked the hard questions and now the best and brightest in the retirement industry have gathered together under one roof to answer them. It’s time to set the benchmark and change the South African retirement industry forever.

 

What if we had the power to change the powers-that-be...?


BENCHMARK SYMPOSIUM

Where the future of the retirement industry is shaped.

 

Click on the relevant link to download a pdf version of the presentation:


Subject

Presenter

A good move or a knee-jerk reaction?
...commentary on the recent appointment of a Minister of Pensions

Elias Masilela: 
Head of Sanlam’s Policy Analysis Unit

Getting meaningful data

... the substance behind the 2010 Benchmark retirement industry survey

Wagieda Suliman: 
Head of Institutional Research

Better or worse off?
... key results from the 2010 Benchmark retirement industry survey

Danie van Zyl: 
Head of Guaranteed Investments at Sanlam

Investment performance
... have Multi-Managers delivered the goods?

Nersan Naidoo: 
CEO of Sanlam Multi Manager International

Have we overlooked the needs of 60% of South Africans?”

Viresh Maharaj: 
Chief Actuary at Sanlam Group Risk

“Governance, King III and the issues faced by a typical fund”

Kobus Hanekom: 
Head of General Consulting at Simeka

“A health check for umbrella funds
... key results from the 2010 Benchmark retirement industry survey”

 David Gluckman: 
Managing Director of Sanlam Umbrella Solutions

“Unique insight into the member and pensioner perspective
... key results from the 2010 Benchmark retirement industry survey”

Dawie de Villiers: 
CEO of Sanlam Structured Solutions
The Sanlam Group in perspective Johan van Zyl: 
Sanlam Group CEO

How do we shape the future?

Elias Masilela: 
Head of Sanlam’s Policy Analysis Unit

 

BENCHMARK Symposium 2009

 

Click on the relevant link to download a pdf version of the presentation:


Subject

Presenter

Setting the scene (pdf 389kb)

Paul Myeza

Sanlam Group Overview (pdf 6.77mb)

Johan van Zyl

Survey Reality Check 2009 Results (pdf 4.09mb)

Dawie de Villiers

Investment Reality Check
The "new" normal versus back to basics (pdf 2.26mb)

Armien Tyer

Reform Reality Check
National Social Security System (NSSS) versus Free-market
Retirement Reform  (pdf 3.51mb)

David Gluckman

Post Retirement Reality Check
Short sighted planning versus longer term living (pdf 6.58mb

Karen de Kock

International Speaker

Public Pension System: Objectives and Design Alternatives
(pdf 1.76mb)

Ole Settergren

Head Secretary: Social Insurance Agency
Swedish Ministry of Health & Social Affairs

Panel Discussions

Balancing Opportunity with Protection (pdf 286kb)

Elias Masilela

Investing Across Business Cycles (pdf 681kb)

Jarred Glansbeek

Consequences of the Global Economic crisis - Early reflection for SA
(pdf 603kb)

Haroon Bhorat

The impact of monetary policy on saving (pdf 781kb)

Johan van den Heever


BENCHMARK Symposium 2008


Click on the links below to download the presentations from the 2008 Symposium:

 



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