The Astra convention was held on February 28, 2023, in Kota Kinabalu and provided a wonderful setting for management, staff, and advisors to spend time getting to know each other.
Astra embraces technology with the vast majority of our staff working remotely to save time and to provide all members of staff a better work/life balance. As an international organization with staff and advisors all over the world, for many of us this was the first time to ‘meet in person’.
Conventions like this one, therefore represent a great opportunity for team bonding, learning and building stronger relationships with colleagues who we otherwise only see remotely. This stronger relationship is designed to further enhance the service we provide clients.
An example of this can be seen in the training sessions we held during the convention to discuss new products and services Astra offers which can further enhance and strengthen the relationship between advisors and clients.
The business session we held during the convention also enabled us all to learn about new investment themes which can benefit clients, plus provided an update on global markets and the outlook for the markets in 2023. The business session also provided management the opportunity to focus on the values of the company and the importance we attach to client relationships.
During the conference, management was able to reiterate the importance we attach to all clients wherever they are based. Ideally, all our clients no matter their nationality or where they live should be provided a quality independent advice service, based on certain standards we set as a company.
The conference also offered our sponsors and business partners the opportunity to promote their services and update us on new products and offerings. Spending time with our business partners helps us to better understand their products and makes it easier to communicate the benefits with clients.
In Kota Kinabalu we were grateful to our partners Momentum Global Investment Management, Investors Trust, IDAD, Atlas Life, VAM Funds, and Marlborough for either attending or providing virtual presentations and for sponsoring some of the activities the group has done to foster fellowship and camaraderie.
Over the past few years, the world has changed significantly due to the pandemic, the war in Europe and the breakdown of the relationship between the US and China. Fortunately, despite the challenging business environment, Astra has still managed to survive and strengthen as a business by recruiting more advisors and staff to better support our clients.
The convention in Kota Kinabalu enabled management to share our vision with the staff, advisors and our partners that Astra has a long-term vision and plan. We want to continue to grow the business to provide long term stability in our relationship with clients and staff and to set a positive example in all countries where we operate with regard to providing quality financial advice for clients.