You can’t look at any newspaper or internet feed without COVID-19 being front and centre at the moment. As the spread of the virus across the UK increases, the teams here at Parmenion are keeping a close eye on the developments, to make sure we can continue to deliver the service you and your clients need.
Business as usual
We are currently operating our business as usual but have mobilised both our local and Group-level Major Incident Response and Crisis Management Teams – in line with official advice and our normal governance process for such a scenario. We are well-prepared for any eventuality, if the guidance or triggers around COVID-19 changes. As you would expect, we already have well-rehearsed business continuity procedures and plans (BCP) in place. This includes recent testing of our alternative site and full remote working by business-critical teams should our main office have to close. This ensures we would be able to continue to run our business without any disruption to you.
Staying in touch
Additionally, our IT teams have been stress testing our cloud systems, we have been verifying all our suppliers readiness plans, and all Parmenion colleagues are equipped with secure portable hardware, protected by both cryptographic cards and full device encryption, which will allow protected access to our systems and telephony remotely. This means that everyone can work from home should that be an appropriate course of action.
Travel
Local (UK-based) travel continues as normal, subject to regional guidance. Should this change, our Webex system is in place so meetings don’t need to be cancelled – we’ll simply carry them out remotely. You can also continue to reach our teams via telephone, email and our live chat.
Staff welfare is a priority for us at Parmenion, and our colleagues are being provided with information on managing sickness and returning from high-risk destinations to reduce the risk of any infection. All teams have plans to operate a split team approach to further help prevent the spread of the virus, in line with government advice.
Managing the risk
Markets have reacted to the news of the spread of coronavirus, as many of you will have read. Our investment team are managing client portfolios in line with agreed risk profiles. Though there has been a global dip, the performance of all Parmenion solutions have performed as expected by our investment team and in line with the way in which the solutions were designed.
COVID-19 has been unexpected for all of us. We continue to take a considered view of the situation – mobilising our robust Business Continuity Plans (BCP) which have been established and tested for events just like these – though we always hope we don’t have to.
If you have any specific questions, please do get in touch with our Client Services team on 0117 204 7678.
This article is for financial professionals only. Any information contained within is of a general nature and should not be construed as a form of personal recommendation or financial advice. Nor is the information to be considered an offer or solicitation to deal in any financial instrument or to engage in any investment service or activity. Parmenion accepts no duty of care or liability for loss arising from any person acting, or refraining from acting, as a result of any information contained within this article. All investment carries risk. The value of investments, and the income from them, can go down as well as up and investors may get back less than they put in. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.