Page 13 - KZN Leaders Portfolio E-BOOK 2107

CEO and Principal Officer of Natal Joint Municipal Pension/ In addition, we moved our offices from
KwaZulu-Natal Joint Municipal Provident Funds (NJMPF) Pietermaritzburg to a contemporary office park in
Westville, Durban.
AM CAMILLERI is the CEO and Principal
Officer of Natal Joint Municipal Pension/ The staff also needed to understand that they were
KwaZulu-Natal Joint Municipal Provident Funds employed by a non-profit organisation and were
S (NJMPF) which currently administers a total of working for their clients’ benefit, which was a major
R 18 billion in assets. culture change. The change in the ethos of the NJMPF
was dramatic as staff were now required to strive for
Sam Camilleri’s professional career has included excellence and required to meet the expectations of the
being appointed as a general manager for the Aviva members.
Group in Australia – globally one of the largest financial
services companies. He also held the position of CEO The innovative approach has meant a change in the
of Norwich Investment Management Ltd Australia. Prior remuneration policy in which staff are now rewarded
to this, Sam held the position of Portfolio Manager both through financial incentives and promotions for
at Chase NBA. Some years ago, Sam was offered a their achievements.
position in South Africa as the CEO of a Cape Town Because of these changes, the Fund started to
based asset management company. This investment become known throughout the pension industry
experience gained over the last three decades has and began winning industry awards for excellence.
played a significant role to his current position. These Furthermore, says Sam, “the various awards that the
experiences he said, have equipped him with a level NJMPF has received have prompted the staff to want
of understanding which has been critical to his role at to achieve more. They are very competitive, they enjoy
NJMPF. He was able to take his knowledge from the winning and they see the awards as recognition of
investment side of the fund management industry and their efforts.” Since this transformation, the NJMPF has
apply this acumen to administrating and investment won a staggering total of 33 awards of which 12 are
performance of a pension fund. international awards.
Sam was appointed as CEO of the NJMPF in July His staff are encouraged to participate and provide
2007 and has spent the last ten years dramatically suggestions for procedures or innovations that will
transforming the organisation from an old-fashioned enhance value for the members of the NJMPF.
paper based bureaucracy to a local and international
multi-award-winning retirement fund. He says, “I took Even though there have been negative economic
the organisation to something that is modern and up to times, the NJMPF has had only one negative quarter
speed with technology.” of returns in the last seventeen years. “Our pensioners
have received exceptional returns. We have pensioners
When Sam first started at the NJMPF, there was only now being paid more than when they were working”.
one computer in the entire building and the employees Throughout the last decade, we have always given our
were reliant on paper based files and a typing pensioners full CPI and a thirteenth cheque. The result
pool. There were no standardised forms or network is that our pensioners have received increases/returns
computerised systems. significantly above inflation,” said Sam Camilleri.

His first task was to modernise the NJMPF and to He added, “We now compete against the biggest
develop operating policies and procedures. He says, pension funds and our returns are compatible against
“This was a journey that we were going to undertake as the best of best, in fact, Alexander Forbes one of South
a team, we were going to transform the business. This Africa’s largest asset consultants has ranked the NJMPF
challenge was difficult as we had to train staff, develop consistently in the top quartile of investment returns.”
a new administration IT platform and still deliver a
quality service to our members – it was an interesting Looking forward, we will be offering living annuities
experience.” to our retiring members from the Defined Contribution
Fund. On the communication front, we have recently
An initial requirement was to upskill employees, introduced a new website as well as a mobile
which took place over a two-year period. Basic app, which allows our members greater access to
computer skills and programmes were taught and the information about their funds.”
almost five million paper files, which filled much of the
office space, had to be captured on computer. Through running financial literacy programmes, the
NJMPF is also trying to educate municipal workers
“I had staff threatening to go on strike - one Friday about saving for the future.
afternoon when I removed the adding machines from
everyone’s desks and insisted that from the Monday Sam says that he enjoys relaxing at home in his free
morning all calculations had to done on the computer time and usually spends his weekends watching his
system,” says Sam Camilleri. son’s various sporting activities.

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