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FIA announces 2012 annual industry award winners

One of the most prestigious events of the financial services industry, the annual Financial Intermediaries Association of Southern Africa (FIA) Awards Gala Dinner, was held last night (Thursday 7 June 2012) at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg where the winners of the 2012 FIA Awards were announced.

According to Brian van Flymen, President of the FIA, the purpose of the awards is to honour and recognise those financial services providers (FSPs) who have made an outstanding effort to offer the best service and products to their clients, as voted for by South African financial intermediaries.

“We firmly believe that competition is a good thing as it motivates FSPs to constantly look for ways in which they can improve their business operations, whilst also ensuring that those who excel receive the recognition they deserve.”

Highlights of the awards included Santam scooping two awards for Short-term Insurer of the Year - Personal Lines and Short-Term Insurer of the Year – Commercial, while Sanlam also won the Employee Benefits Product Supplier of the Year and Product Supplier of the Year - Investment Products Single Premium.

Elsewhere, Discovery Life received Product Supplier of the Year - Investment Product Recurring Premium and Discovery Health was named as the Health Care Product Supplier of the Year for the third year in a row.

Independent research company Bluestream Research conducted a customer satisfaction survey among the FIA’s members with the three main criteria being assessments of product quality, service quality and relationship quality.

Van Flymen says all product providers receive the complete report in order for them to compare their results against the winner, as well as benchmarking themselves against the industry average in each category. “The aim is for the product providers to utilise this information to assist them in recognizing those areas in which they need to improve and those in which they are performing well.”

Below is the full list of 2012 winners:

CATEGORY	WINNERS
Short-Term Insurer of the Year – Personal Lines	SANTAM
Short-Term Insurer of the Year – Commercial	SANTAM
Short-Term Insurer of the Year – Corporate	ETANA
Underwriting Manager of the Year	HOSPITALITY INDUSTRIAL & COMMERCIAL UNDERWRITING MANAGERS
Long-Term Insurer of the Year – Risk	ALTRISK
Product supplier of the Year - Investment Products Single Premium	SANLAM
Product supplier of the Year - Investment Products Recurring Premium	DISCOVERY LIFE
Employee Benefits Product supplier of the Year	SANLAM
Health Care Product Supplier of the Year	DISCOVERY HEALTH

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