The other day I received a four word email from one of our auditors – “Why a palm tree?” It was a good question and one that I assumed all of our co-workers would know the answer to. Since it must bear repeating, here is what I wrote, some years ago, about our LEGACY Palm Logo.
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Our palm tree logo suggests two distinct meanings – one metaphorical and the other sublimely physical.
The reality of Risk Management is the inevitability of loss. We don’t think in terms of “whether the storm” but rather “when the storm”. Tough times will come and go, no matter how well you can predict them. The true test of great risk management lies in preparation. If you make the appropriate accommodations, when the storm comes, you’ll be ready.
The palm is an unusual tree. It’s flexibility allows it to withstand extreme winds without succumbing to their influences – a tangible example of the proverb:
“Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be broken.”
On the less abstract side, there’s something hopeful about palm trees. For those of us who have lived in the “wintry North”, nothing is as compelling as the tropics in the middle of January. What better symbol of warmth and relaxation is there than a palm tree?
We often muse that it’s the target of our efforts – to someday be able to retire under the welcoming fronds of our own private palmetto.