Page 15 - KZN Top Business Portfolio - EBOOK 2019

CEO and Principal Officer of KwaZulu-Natal a major culture change. The change in the ethos
Joint Municipal Pension/ Provident Funds (NJMPF) of the NJMPF was dramatic as from an old school
institute, the staff were now required to strive for
AM CAMILLERI is the CEO and Principal excellence and meet the expectations of their
Officer of KwaZulu-Natal Joint Municipal members and pensioners.
Pension/ Provident Funds (NJMPF), which Furthermore says Camilleri, the various awards
Scurrently administers a total of R 18 billion.
that the NJMPF has since received have promoted
Camilleri’s professional career has included being the staff to want to achieve more. “They are very
appointed as a general manager for the Invivo Group competitive, they enjoy winning and they see the
in Australia - a large financial services company. He awards we have received as their awards, which
was then offered a position in South Africa as an recognise their efforts.” In contrast to the previous
asset manager for Sanlam, which he said has been closed-door policy, where staff were summoned
a huge advantage to his current position. These by bells, Camilleri operates a very flat business
experiences he said, have equipped him with a level structure with open communication. His staff are
of understanding that has been critical to his role at also welcome to participate and provide suggestions
NJMPF. He was able to take his knowledge from the for procedures or innovations that will enhance
investment side of fund management and apply this value for the members and pensioners and other
acumen to administrating the pension fund. beneficiaries of the NJMPF.
Camilleri was appointed as CEO of the NJMPF Even though there have been negative economic
in July 2007 and has spent the last eleven years times, the NJMPF has had only one negative return
dramatically transforming the organisation from an in the last eighteen years. “We have pensioners
old-fashioned paper-based bureaucracy to a local now being paid more than when they are working.
and international multi-award-winning retirement Throughout the last decade, we have always given
fund. our pensioners full CPI and in one year, we gave
them a thirteenth cheque and special increase in
His first task was to modernise the NJMPF’s
operating policies and procedures. He says, “This less than three months. The result is that they are
getting returns way above inflation,” said Camilleri.
was a journey that we were going to undertake, we
were going to transform the business. It was difficult He added, “We now compete against the biggest
as we had to train staff and still deliver a service - it investment funds and our returns are compatible
was an interesting experience.” against the best of best, such as Coronation and
Investec.” “We are looking after our pensioners.
An initial requirement was to upskill employees,
which took place over a two-year period. Basic Looking forward, we will be offering a living annuity
computer skills and programmes were taught and fund and have recently introduced a new website
as well as a mobile app, which allows them greater
the almost five million paper files, which filled much access to information about their funds.”
of the office space, had to be captured on computer.
“I had staff threatening to go on strike, one Friday Through running financial literacy programmes,
afternoon, I removed the adding machines from the NJMPF is also trying to educate the municipal
everyone’s desks and from the Monday morning workers that it services and send the message that
insisted that all calculations had to be computer the more they save now, the better they will be in
based,” says Camilleri. the long run.
The staff also needed to understand that they Camilleri says that he enjoys relaxing at home
were employed by a non-profit organisation and in his free time and usually spends his weekends
were working for their clients’ benefit, which was watching his son’s various sporting activities.

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