New Year's message from our Founder

Dear Clients, Partners and Friends,
Firstly let me once again thank our existing clients all over the world for their ongoing and continued support toward Austen Morris Associates Global (AMA) after entering our 23rd year in business.
Over the past 12 months 57% of AMA’s Global business has been placed by existing clients through Shanghai, Manila, Johannesburg and Cape Town, while a further 31% of new business has been introduced to AMA on a referral basis from existing clients. Truly remarkable figures indeed and once again many, many thanks from the entire Senior management team at AMA to all our clients across the world.
AMA prides itself on not just being a leading service provider of financial products but also working very hard to create the correct working environment for everybody that calls AMA their home. Another really happy number that I am going to report is “seven”. Over 2016 we have been lucky enough to have been blessed with seven new happy and healthy babies across the company.  I’d like to welcome to the AMA family – Hugo, Alonzo, Xianming, Michiko, Rey, Zakariya and Legend.
On the other end of the scale I would like to personally congratulate Mr. Alistair Skinner on completing his sixteenth year at AMA and our Managing Senior Partner Mr. James Colclough who has also been with us for 16 years. Excellent achievement gentlemen and thank you for your combined 32 years of support and loyalty to AMA.
On behalf of all the consultants, coordinators, Partners and Senior Partners I must thank Phil Morris and the entire administration team of Austen Morris Associates for being the backbone of the company that continues to keep every “i” dotted and every “t” crossed, always making sure that things run as smoothly as possible regardless as to the situation that arises in any company.
Westley Van Rooijen
Once again it has been a year of expansion for AMA which included the acquisition of SureSelect Solutions CC and AMASA Pty in South Africa. With this acquisition, AMA will now offer a range of healthcare insurance products in South Africa, diversifying the existing financial planning and wealth management product portfolio. This will bring the total global client base of AMA to over 15,000 clients by mid 2017. The acquisition builds on AMA’s successful expansion into South Africa that began with the opening of offices in Johannesburg in 2013 and later in Cape Town in 2015. Prior to the acquisition  Westley Van Rooijen founded and managed SureSelect Solutions, his own brokerage, for over a 6-year period, specialising in short term medical insurance, offering Medical aid, Gap cover and occupational healthcare. Westley will now continue to head-up this new division under the umbrella of AMA. Welcome aboard Wes.
Brett Taylor
I am also very happy to announce that AMA offered a key position to a leading figure within the African financial services sector who brings a wealth of experience to the team in this location. Phil, James and myself are very much looking forward to working with Brett and we have no doubt that he will build on the success that has already been achieved in South Africa.
Brett is a fully qualified financial consultant holding both national and international qualification being RE1 & 5 and CISI 1 & 2. Over the course of his career he has had great success in building a high net worth client base and also built and managed 8 successful offices inside and outside of South Africa. Brett, we all wish you every success in South Africa and the entire region. Welcome to the AMA family.
Matthew Riddington & William Coppin
It is with great pleasure and pride that we would also like to announce that we have two new Senior Partners within AMA. Over the past 6 years they have both excelled in their roles to achieve this title by building exceptional client bases, excellent teams and by simply leading by example. Congratulations from both our existing Senior Partners Mr. Jon Holand, Mr. James Colclough and of course myself. Gentlemen thank you both for the huge contribution you have made to AMA and we look forward to continue working with you for many years to come.
Over the past 12 months the world has certainly seen many critical or fundamental changes, formost: The worst humanitarian catastrophe in a generation being the Syrian civil war and the fall of Aleppo, a coup attempt in Turkey to over throw President Erdogan. Rodrigo Duterte being elected as the Philippine President with just 39 percent of the vote and then allowing the killing of over 4,500 people. The Trans-Pacific Partnership began in 2016, a deal which took seven years to negotiate, the cornerstone of the Obama administration to rebalance Asia, which now of course looks as though it will be torpedoed by the next U.S administration, and then the shock vote that ended the career of Prime Minister David Cameron and started the process of Britain leaving the European Union.
Finally, a man that shocked the world and deserves his own paragraph for doing so. Donald Trump wins the U.S Presidency after political experts dismissed his chances, he will be the first U.S president with no prior experience either in government or the U.S military, which will dictate that we all have some very, very interesting times ahead of us.
Regardless as what has happened in 2016 or what may happen in the coming years, please be assured that Austen Morris Associates will continue to always put the best interest of it’s clients, staff, partners and family before itself and we will always endeavour and strive to make sure that any individual person or company that we do business with receives the service and advice that they deserve and require. After all, you are invested in our future as much as we are invested in yours.
Once again, for and on behalf of the entire Austen Morris Associates global family I would like to thank all of our clients and partners for your continued support.
Happy New Year and we wish you health, prosperity and happiness over 2017.
Invested together, always.
Best Regards
Greg Morris
Founding Senior Partner