Press Release

PIMFA welcomes Rt. Hon. Jim Murphy to Webinar Wednesday

22 April 2020

PIMFA, the trade association for the wealth management and financial advice industry, will welcome the Rt. Hon Jim Murphy, managing director of Arden Strategies, to its regular Webinar Wednesday briefing this week.

In this exclusive, 45 minute webinar Jim will provide PIMFA member firms with an insight into the thinking, advice and workings of the Government, as it wrestles with the social and economic impact of COVID-19. It will also be a chance for PIMFA members to gain some insight into what the Government may do once the current crisis has eased and will provide an opportunity for members to raise questions for him to answer live.

Jim Murphy is a former UK Cabinet Minister in the UK Government and held multiple ministerial portfolios, while also a serving as a Member of Parliament from 1997-2015. He served in senior positions in both Tony Blair’s and Gordon Brown’s governments including as Minister for Europe, Minister for Technology, Minister for Employment and Welfare and Secretary of State for Scotland.

Among the many roles he held in Government, Jim was Minister for Civil Contingencies at the Cabinet Office preparing for pandemics and crises. He also served on the National Economic Council plotting the Cabinet’s response to the 2008 Financial Crisis and can offer his insights on Government thinking and how PIMFA members can best interact with Government policy.

Among the topics addressed during Wednesday’s Webinar will be how long the lockdown will last and when parts of the economy will re-open; what is in the minds of senior Government Ministers and those advising them; what the Government will try to do to prevent the re-emergence of the virus once controls are relaxed and the likely long term impacts of the crisis on the economy and financial services policy.

The Webinar, will be hosted by PIMFA Chief Executive Liz Field, at 10am on Wednesday (22 April). PIMFA members can register for Wednesday Webinar at https://www.pimfa.co.uk/event/webinar-wednesday-special-episode-4/.

‘Webinar Wednesday’ was launched by PIMFA in response to the Coronavirus pandemic to provide member updates on the latest issues effecting them such as regulatory changes, political developments and operational issues. They sit alongside PIMFA’s other publicly accessible webinars, podcasts and training courses all available online. PIMFA will also be holding its first Virtual Festival in June.

Liz Field, Chief Executive of PIMFA, commented: “We have had an overwhelmingly positive response to our Webinar Wednesday briefings in recent weeks and we are very much looking forward to welcoming Jim Murphy to this week’s briefing as our guest speaker. His insights into the Government’s response to the current crisis, and likely steps it will take once the crisis has eased, will I’m sure prove extremely valuable. I hope as many of our members as possible will join us for this week for what I expect will be a very useful Webinar Wednesday.

“Given the response to Webinar Wednesday we intend to continue the service as a regular briefing for PIMFA members on our ongoing policy work and communication with Government and other regulatory bodies. This is yet another way in which PIMFA is continuing to communicate and add value for our members, alongside our work to demonstrate the value of professional regulated advice and the services our members offer.”

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Notes for Editors:

About PIMFA – the Personal Investment Management & Financial Advice Association

· PIMFA is the trade association for firms that provide investment management and financial advice to everyone from individuals and families to charities, pension funds, trusts and companies.

· The sector currently looks after £1.3 trillion in private savings and investments and employs over 55,000 people.

· PIMFA represents both full and associate member firms. Full members provide a range of financial solutions including financial advice, portfolio management, as well as investment and execution services. They assist everyone from individuals and families, to charities and pension funds, all the way to trusts and companies. Associate members provide professional services to the PIMFA community.

· PIMFA leads the debate on policy and regulatory recommendations to ensure that the UK remains a global centre of excellence in the wealth management, investment advice and financial planning arena. Our mission is to create an optimal operating environment so that its member firms can focus on delivering the best service to clients, providing responsible stewardship for their long-term savings and investments.

· PIMFA was created in 2017 as the outcome of a merger between the Association of Professional Financial Advisers (APFA) and the Wealth Management Association (WMA) with a history as a trade association since 1991 – read more.

· Further information can be found at www.pimfa.co.uk

· To become a member of PIMFA for access to training, benefits and discounts, please visit https://www.pimfa.co.uk/become-a-member or contact us directly at membership@pimfa.co.uk