When Kevin Press first told me that Benefits Canada wanted to celebrate my career in this issue I was both flattered and aware that my approaching retirement was inevitable. Thank you, Benefits Canada for this glimpse at my own funeral.

I asked four friends to join me in this honour. Articles by Laurence and Michael Coward (the later with Marsh Canada), David Howe of Eckler Partners and Fred Holmes of Buck Consultants not only make fine reading, but they represent the various stages of my career. I thank them for these retirement gifts. A special thanks goes to Laurence, whom I first met across the table in 1963 when I was negotiating pension plans for the United Steelworkers Union.

Employee benefits in general, and healthcare benefits in particular, have been an integral part of my working life, which reached a peak when I joined the benefits consulting business in December 1971. Shortly after joining William M. Mercer Ltd. that year I was asked to give a speech on the future of benefits consulting. I predicted we would:

• Move to a total compensation concept.
  
• Become more involved in industrial relations.
  
• Engage in management consulting.
  
• See the emergence of a team approach, using account executives.
  
• Hire more professionals from outside the insurance industry.
  
• See commissions replaced by fees.
  
• Communicate with clients faster--using Telex.
  
• Extend use of computers to group benefits.
  
• Sponsor seminars on benefits topics.
  
• Expand the use of bulletins and newsletters to clients and prospects.
  
• Hire more women.
  
• Set up libraries and resource centres.
  
• Engage in motivational research and surveys.