Get your decs out - December is here

Well here we are in December already. I popped into the local shop this week and was asked whether I had started thinking about Christmas to which the answer was no. I happened to be in the next day (surely not a creature of habit) and before she asked, I said that the answer was still no. Looking at the diary between now and Christmas  and it seems like shopping for presents is going to be a bit of a challenge.

We like challenges though. Whilst I normally hate being away from home on a Sunday night (only because I miss the X factor vote obviously) this week it was because of the IFP Board Strategy meeting which ran from Sunday through to Monday. There were three new board members and we had the expert skills of Michael Tipper to guide us through our strategic thinking. There was much to reflect on with some stellar (as opposed to Stella like the good old days) achievements during 2011 but even more to be excited about over the coming years. We took the opportunity to refresh our vision for 2015 and to focus our priorities for the coming year or two as we ease through the Retail Distribution Review transition.

Getting to know the new board members was also fun and in particular the dietary requirements of Andrew Brook Dobson. He is on a special fitness/diet programme involving fruit and vegetables. Looking at the concoctions that he was consuming he looks more like he is preparing for a bush tucker trial. I hope that it achieves the objective because it certainly looks revolting with a series of green slimes and yellow goos to consume at various times of the day. I would certainly think twice about inviting him round for dinner at the moment although he must be doing marvels for the methane industry!

Andrew was one of the speakers at the South West Conference and Best Practice workshop finishing today. The calibre of speakers and delegates at the event probably explains why we have so many product providers attending our strategy presentations next Monday. Over 80 people have booked in which is brilliant. There is so much to consider for next year as well.

We enjoyed another day of IFPTV filming with Multichannel TV on Tuesday and new clips are already on the site for people to look at. In addition to an interview with Andrew BD (seems like I have spent the whole week with him), filming was also done with Baigrie Davies and Louise Oliver from Taylor Oliver and board member Neil Bailey. Really pleased with the content and hope that adding this to the library of best practice will help viewers too.

It was great to press release details of more Accredited Financial Planning firms and more applications are being received. This means that there will be a good budget to embark on a bigger consumer campaign in 2012 to engage more effectively with the consumer about Financial Planning. Our first conference for the Financial Planning firms will take place on 22^nd March and an exciting agenda is already being put together. Whilst we won’t yet be putting adverts out in the middle of Downton Abbey, great progress will be able to be made.

I went from our South West conference up to London (for a change) up to the Owen James Meeting of Minds Event at the lovely Berkeley Hotel. Caught up with some of the good, bad, ugly and indifferent of the financial services industry and had the pleasure of introducing and thanking Justin Urquhart Stewart as the after dinner speaker. Great to see Justin back to normal again after the difficult year that he has had following leg surgery. Evey, James and team continue to do a great job, working so hard on the agenda and support that they provide their community which is why we have so much in common. I certainly look forward to working with them in 2012 with their Meeting of Minds and Winning Adviser Programmes. We might even convince some of the old stiffs from Private Banking to see the value in proper Financial Planning although that might be a step too far to hope for!

Well a day of conference calls to look forward to and a weekend with friends, garden, rugby and tennis. Looking forward to watching Shane William’s final game for Wales v Australia, hope that it is a winning one! Hope that you have a good one and l look forward to seeing all our key partners on Monday to talk about next year which in China is apparently “The Year of the Financial Planner.”