With 2025 just around the corner, Origo CEO Anthony Rafferty is urging financial services companies and teams to celebrate their wins from 2024 as they plan their strategy for the New Year and beyond.
The Financial Services industry is used to dealing with change, but 2024 has been a particular year for it, says Anthony Rafferty, CEO, Origo. This has included the abolition of the Lifetime Allowance, continuing adjustments to Consumer Duty and proposed changes to pensions and inheritance tax announced in the autumn Budget, amongst others.
“When we are faced with a year of changes, combined with everything we need to do simply to run our businesses, it can lead us to concentrate on our outstanding tasks. After all, that is how we generally work, looking forward, what needs to be done and by when? What’s still on our ‘to do’ list rather than all the things we ticked off the list in the past year,” Rafferty says.
“There is a constant treadmill moving forward, which we all need for our businesses, but sometimes we need also to step off and look back to where we’ve come from and what we’ve achieved.
“When we celebrate our accomplishments we feel more valued and appreciated. How much better to work in a positive workplace culture, where what we achieve is recognised and not taken for granted.
“Every team will have had its wins and celebrating our achievements can highlight how teamwork contributed to the success.
“Recognising milestones also promotes a sense of shared purpose and pride in what we do as a company or firm. The shared sense of purpose that we have at Origo, for example, is that what we do helps deliver better experiences and outcomes across the industry, and especially for the end consumer.
“And there’s no better time to pause, reflect, and acknowledge our progress than at the end of the calendar year. Not only does it confirm how much we’ve done in the past 12 months and how far we’ve come, but it sets us up for the challenges and opportunities in the year ahead. And, we can be sure, there will be plenty to contend with in 2025!
“Since becoming a CEO, I’ve found it to be highly beneficial to mark our achievements at Origo. We celebrated our 35th anniversary this year – one of our wins.
“Whether you are leading a business or a team within it, take a few minutes to jot down what has been achieved and let the people who achieved it know that they are recognised and valued. Set up you, your business and your teams for a great 2025.”
