First recipients of the Professional Principal Executive Officers certification From left: Sibusiso Luthuli, Sean Samons, Derek Field, Vik Ramlugaan, Anne-Marie D’Alton (Batseta CEO), Joe Letswalo, Ismail Bhoola, Steve Tennant, Henry Dul .
Batseta Council of Retirement Funds for South Africa (Batseta) convened the very first certification ceremony for the recipients of the Occupational Certificate: Professional Principal Executive Officer (PPEO).
Eight principal officers of retirement funds successfully completed their exams:
• Derek Field (KZN Municipal Pension Fund)
• Henry Nico Dul (Gijima Pension and Provident Fund) – With distinction
• Ishmail Bhoola (The Southern Africa Quantum Umbrella Beneficiary Fund)
• Joe Letswalo (Road Freight and Logistics Industry Provident Fund)
• Sean Samons (National Fund for Municipal Workers)
• Sibusiso Luthuli (Eskom Pension and Provident Fund) – With distinction
• Stephen Richard Tennant (TOP Provident Fund)
• Vikash Ramlugaan (Aveng Pension and Provident Fund)
Developed with the help of industry experts, the Insurance Sector Education and Training Authority (INSETA) and the Financial Services Board (FSB), the PPEO qualification is designed for principal officers who are the executives of retirement fund boards of trustees.
The certification process aims ensure that principal officers are able to guide and monitor the Board’s compliance with external legislation as well as implement and monitor fund rules and Board approved policies. In addition, principal officers are equipped to manage the operations of the retirement fund and guide and implement the Board's decisions.
With erratic access to education in this country, the certification process facilitates the acquisition of the necessary skills for principal officers to manage retirement funds professionally and ethically. Retirement Fund fiduciaries have an opportunity to obtain this qualification while they are working: it is workplace based and assesses their theoretical, practical and workplace skills.
“This is the first group of principal officers to receive the qualification. They are the light bearers of certification. Their conduct and behaviour will ultimately determine the value of this qualification going forward,” says Anne-Marie D’Alton, CEO of Batseta.
The qualification for retirement fund principal officers is an accredited occupational qualification verified by the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) and is registered on the National Qualification Framework (NQF) at Level 7.
The introduction of an occupational qualification is an important part of the general professionalisation of the retirement fund industry. A similar occupational qualification has been registered for retirement fund trustees on the NQF as a Level 5.
Batseta is a SAQA registered professional body and an Assessment Quality Partner (AQP) of the QCTO. As an AQP, Batseta administers the Integrated External Summative Assessment (IESA) of both the occupational qualifications registered on the NQF for Principal Officers and Trustees of retirement funds.
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