Institute agenda

New year looms for Continuing Professional Development

With the end of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) year approaching, now is the time to make sure you have recorded all your 2011 activity. One of the easiest ways to do this is to record it online within the members’ area of the website. You can also record your CPD manually using a plan which can be downloaded from www.charteredbanker.com

In February 2012, the Institute will be carrying out its annual monitoring process to protect the reputation of both members and the Institute. If you are selected to be part of the review, you will be asked to supply evidence of your CPD activity. Note that failure to comply could lead to your Chartered Banker status and other CPD-related designations being removed.

If your employer has Approved Employer Status (AES), you will only be required to submit evidence of your five hours of “professionalism and ethics” activity and, where appropriate (PMA status), 14 hours of “mortgage-related” activity. Currently, Airdrie Savings Bank, National Australia Group, The Royal Bank of Scotland Group and Tesco Bank hold AES status.

If you need additional CPD hours, the Institute offers six online courses supplied by Nelson Croom, with a seventh course, risk management, coming soon. You can also find the Institute’s professionalism and ethics toolkit, credit skills library, ethical dilemmas and other CPD material on the Institute’s website within the CPD materials section of the members’ area.

For more information, visit www.charteredbanker.com or email cpd@charteredbanker.com

Aberdeen annual dinner raises funds for charities

The Aberdeen Branch of the Institute recently held its annual dinner where over £3,000 was raised for charity during a game of heads and tails hosted by guest speaker, Willie Allan.

The winner, Graeme Beagrie of RBS, chose the charity which would benefit from the money. He requested that the amount be split between the Archie Foundation (Aberdeen Sick Kids Hospital) and the Cleft Lip and Palate Association (CLAPA).

Season for subscriptions

If you have yet to pay your annual subscription for the 2011/2012 subscription year, please forward your payment as soon as possible. If payment is not received by 31 December, your membership of the Institute will lapse and you will be unable to continue with your studies or use any designations relating to your qualification. Payment can be made via the members’ section of the website at www. charteredbanker.com

Please note however, that with effect from 1 July 2012, the Institute will be introducing the option to pay subscriptions by monthly direct debit. Watch out for further information in future issues of Chartered Banker.

Celebrating Rabbie Burns

The Institute’s London District will be holding its 65th annual Burns Supper at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, on Friday, 27 January 2012.

Over the years, the Burns Supper has played a key role in promoting the Institute’s work at a UK level as well as providing an occasion for friends and supporters of the Institute to meet. It is also a key event in the London calendar for entertaining clients and colleagues.

The entertainment for 2012 includes actor Tom Conti, music from The Red Hot Chilli Pipers and the Gary Blair Ceilidh Band, with the “address to the haggis” being delivered by the Reverend Group Captain Donald Wallace.

Tickets are priced at £140 per head. For more information, or to reserve tables, please email david@charteredbanker.com

CPD certificate renewals

The Chartered Banker Institute is aligning CPD certificate renewals with the CPD monitoring process. Although current CPD certificates are due for renewal at the end of 2011, the new certificates will not be issued until the start of April 2012, once the monitoring process is completed. In the interim period, if you require confirmation of your CPD status, either Chartered Banker or PMA, then please visit the CPD registers available at www.charteredbanker.com

Brush up on risk management

The news these days is full of doom and gloom as businesses and enterprises across the globe deal with serious challenges. It raises the question as to why evasive action wasn’t carried out sooner – or at least why businesses were not in a position to react quickly when the problem arose.

The Institute’s new online CPD course on Risk Management examines the big stories that have made the news. The course explores how the concept of risk management has developed, the sort of infrastructure and processes it requires, and the impact it has on traditional control systems. It also addresses practicalities such as budgetary control and crisis management, and covers legal matters such as the Bribery Act.

This course is suitable for members working at all levels. For more details, visit the CPD materials section of the members’ area of the website at www.charteredbanker.com

FEP volunteers sought

Would you like an opportunity to share your knowledge of finance with youngsters in Scotland’s schools?

The Financial Education Partnership (FEP) is on the lookout to recruit more facilitators to volunteer their time to visit schools and deliver pre-prepared workshops. Through the FEP, volunteers deliver workshops on financial capability and a range of other topics to secondary and primary pupils in schools throughout Scotland.

If you are interested in helping, please email chris@charteredbanker. com, or more details can be found under the schools section at www.charteredbanker.com

LinkedIn

Why don’t you join the “Chartered Banker” group? Visit www.linkedin.com Members of the group are increasing all the time and we would encourage member participation in group discussions. If you have suggestions for the group, please email membership@charteredbanker.com 

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