Attorney General opens Abacus 2010 Convention in Adelaide
18 October 2010
The Abacus 2010 Convention was officially opened today by the Attorney General, Minister for Justice and Minister for Tourism, the Honourable John Rau MP at the Adelaide Convention Centre, in front of almost 900 industry delegates from credit unions, mutual building societies and friendly societies.
Abacus is the industry body for credit unions, mutual building societies and friendly societies, and every year Abacus hosts its Convention, which is the premier annual convention for the mutual financial services industry of Australia.
The theme for this year's mutual industry convention is "New Decade, New Directions". As the financial services world continues to evolve, Abacus 2010 Convention will canvass the challenges, opportunities and innovative ideas to take mutuals into the new decade.
Key speakers at the Abacus 2010 Convention include Paul Clitheroe, David Phillips (CEO, Credit Union Central Canada), Jonty Bush (2009 Young Australian of the Year), social media expert Tim Martin and Chris Hamilton (CEO, Australian Payments Clearing Association), in addition to other industry leaders.
"This is a fantastic opportunity for credit unions, building societies and friendly societies to come together to learn, share experiences and to prepare to expand our role as people-focused financial services organisations," said Abacus CEO Louise Petschler.
"We are looking forward to discussing a range of issues for mutuals, and we are delighted to be back in Adelaide again. Not only does Adelaide offer picturesque surrounds and fantastic dining and other opportunities, but it is the home to some of the biggest mutuals in Australia.
"Around 6 million Australians are already served by credit unions, building societies and friendly societies. Whether it is for great home loans and deposits or investments to help you secure your financial future, mutuals around Australia are showing their customers the benefits of being part of a member-owned financial institution.
"Mutual financial institutions offer Australians a better banking deal with outstanding service and market-leading customer satisfaction ratings. Anyone can join and be a member, it's as easy as opening an account online, walking into a branch or picking up the phone.
"It is fantastic to be gathered here with 900 colleagues – all of us dedicated to making sure that consumers have genuine choice in banking and financial services", Petschler said.
For more information, contact:
Pamela Eldridge
Senior Adviser - Media, Public Affairs
(02) 8299 9024; 0423 843 790
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