SAS hosts Nedbank Analyst Forum

The first Nedbank Analyst Forum for this year kicked off at SAS Institute's South African head office in Houghton on 3 April 2008.

SAS Institute in conjunction with Nedbank Retail Business Intelligence Solutions host the forum quarterly for SAS professionals within the financial giant, including analysts, statisticians, and programmers and people in the fields of credit risk, marketing analytics, operational risk and financial modelling.

"These forums have been such a success since they began," says Veronica Hodgson, Account Manager for Nedbank at SAS Institute South Africa. "They are always well attended and provide information on best practices and new ideas to keep everyone ahead of the game."

The speakers at the event included Kevin Maartens, the head of Nedbank retail business cluster, Imraan Dawood, the senior manager at The IQ Business Group specialising in independent risk management consulting, and Helaine Leggat director of iForest Information, the consulting arm of Michalsons ICT Attorneys.

Providing valuable insight into data security and privacy issues by highlighting the effect of current privacy acts including the National Credit Act, the Consumer Protection Bill and the upcoming Protection of Personal Information Act, the speakers also touched on managing the risks surrounding unsafe data and compliance requirements.

The Forum which was first launched in July 2007, with huge success, is designed to provide an educational experience for attendees, by including presentations by industry experts and thought leaders. This recent Forum focused on informing delegates on data privacy acts and legislation surrounding confidential information.

The next Nedbank Analyst Forum will take place in the second quarter of 2008 and will impart further knowledge on issues surrounding risk, analytics and financial marketing.