The Professional Edition 1 October 2020 | Page 2

FROM THE CEO ’ S DESK

You might be asking : What is this publication in my inbox ? It is the first edition of our new PPS member magazine with a selection of articles to suit every taste and interest .

Bespoke member communications , such as Talking Points for clients of our investment business , will continue . But these will have a business-unit-specific flavour , and even more so than before . The Professional will have more general content .
You , dear reader , are not only a customer or client because you make use of a PPS product solution of the various PPS Group businesses . You have passed an eligibility test and became a member . It is more special than a regular financial services relationship : we are a community . This means that as a management team we promote this sense of community by continuously challenging ourselves to add greater value to our members beyond the product benefits . This member publication supports this : as a means of dialogue and creating awareness of all that PPS has to offer .
Having served professionals for almost 80 years , I can confidently declare that we understand this market segment . And one of the things that we certainly know about professionals is that they are time-deprived . We touch on this in the article around essentialism on page 31 . The Professional will not add to the noise and clutter , we cannot afford that . Conscious of this , The Professional has a high standard to attain , be relevant and add value . It should not provide more news , there is enough of that out there ; it should provide context , there is a need for that . In addition , it should stimulate interest and educate - continuous development is part of the ethos of any true profession . And , it should entertain .
I realise that our members are not always aware of all PPS offers . PPS has outgrown the illness-benefit focus it had at the turn of the millennium and is today a fully-fledged financial services provider covering life , short-term insurance , investments , medical aid , and more . The ethos of mutuality guides us in providing a product or service that is also available elsewhere , our product or service must
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