African Insurance Awards 2018

Panelists

The panel of judges would be constituted in line with the requirements of the African Insurance Awards Framework. The list of the judges for the 2018 Awards programme is on the panelist page.

The following are the requirements of the Framework:

Experience: the framework requires judges to be highly distinguished and experienced individuals who have extensive knowledge of insurance and its operations.

Diversity: the judges would be selected from across the continent.

Independence: the panel would be independent and free from influence of the sponsor of the Awards.

Conflict of Interest: prior knowledge of a nominated candidate or company by a judge does not preclude the judge from participating in the judging process. However, the following may constitute conflict of interest:

For “Innovation of the Year” award category: a judge’s direct or indirect control, influence and benefit regarding the product, service or technology at present or in the recent past;

For “CEO of the Year” and “Insurance Company of the Year” award categories: a judge’s interest in a service, business or organisation of the nominated at present or in the recent past.

Judges are implored to disclose conflict of interest in any of the above circumstances.

If the interest is significant, an affected judge shall be precluded from the evaluation of such nominees and his vote will not be counted. A Committee of judges made up of the Chairman, and two other judges appointed by the sponsor shall decide on such a matter.

If the interest is not significant, judges are expected to be mindful of the inherent bias in such association or interest.

Confidentiality: the judging process shall be highly confidential. Judges are also expected to exercise professionalism and are bound by a non-disclosure obligation in cases where nominees are known to them.

Audit: The judging process shall be audited by a reputable firm, which shall provide a report at the end of the process. For the 2017 Awards, Deloitte, Côte d’Ivoire has been selected.

  • Adama NDIAYE
  • Farouk LAZRI
  • Liz BOOTH
  • Hadj Mohamed SEBA
  • Udai R. PATEL
  • Paul RAY
  • Jean-Baptiste KOUAME N’GUESSAN
  • William B. COKER
  • Hervé BLUMENTHAL
  • Mohamed Ben EL KEZADRI
  • Richard LOWE
  • Delphine MAIDOU
  • Manuel GONCALVES
  • Prisca SOARES
  • Tony Van NIEKERK
  • Oye Hassan ODUKALE
  • Sivam SUBRAMANIAM
  • Abd El Raouf Ahmed KOTB
  • Shiamdass Pathareddy APPANNAH
  • Patrick Tumbo NYAMEMBA
  • Karanja KABAGE
  • Béné Boévi LAWSON

Monsieur NDIAYE de la nationalité sénégalaise est le Président de la Fédération des Sociétés d’Assurances de Droit National Africaine (FANAF). Il est aussi Président du Conseil d’administration de la société AMSA Vie Sénégal, Administrateur indépendant de sociétés au Sénégal, en Côte d’Ivoire, au Gabon et au Mali. De Janvier 2005 à Mars 2013 : Directeur Général Adjoint de la société de réassurance AVENI-RE dont le siège est à Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) avec pour missions. De juin 1996 Commissaire contrôleur des assurances à la Conférence Interafricaine des Marchés à décembre 2004 d’Assurances (CIMA). Février 1992 Directeur Technique de la Prévoyance Assurances du Sénégal. Avril 1996 Major du concours de recrutement des commissaires-contrôleurs de la Conférence Interafricaine des Marchés d’Assurances (CIMA). Août 1990 Chargé de la réassurance et du contrôle de gestion à la Prévoyance Assurances du Sénégal. Octobre 1985 Stage de 11 mois à la division du Contrôle budgétaire et au département de Contrôle de Gestion de la Société Nationale de Distribution d’Electricité du Sénégal (SENELEC). CURSUS SCOLAIRE ET UNIVERSITAIRE Juillet 1980 Baccalauréat Série B (économie) obtenu au Lycée Technique Maurice Delafosse de Dakar. Juillet 1985 Maîtrise en Sciences Economique option Gestion des Entreprises (Université de Dakar). Octobre 1988 Major du concours d’entrée au cycle supérieur de l’Institut International des Assurances de Yaoundé. Juillet 1990 Major de la 9e promotion du cycle supérieur (DESA) de l’Institut International des Assurances (IIA) de Yaoundé. DESS en Assurance II. LANGUE – Très bonne maîtrise du français, bonne connaissance de l’anglais. SPORTS ET LOISIRS – Pratique régulière du Basket Ball (très bon niveau) et de la Natation ; – Aime la lecture

He was the Chairman of CCR Algeria and member of the Board African Re, Lagos Arab Re, Bayreuth and Med Re London. Having successfully delivered progressive position with Insurance and Reinsurance in Algeria and Europe for more than 40 years, Mr. Farouk Lazri joined Aon Benfield as Managing Director and a member of the Board of Directors. He is determined to continue his ability to develop and establish sustainable and profitable relationship with clients in Middle East and Africa.

Liz Booth has worked in the industry, firstly as a news reporter and then as a travel writer before discovering the world of insurance. She has edited a number of monthly magazines covering risk and insurance, including titles such as Maritime Risk International, Risk Universe, The Chartered Insurance Institute Journal and Financial Solutions magazines. Today, she concentrates on her role as editor of Commercial Risk Africa. Commercial Risk Africa is a digital magazine, published ten times a year and covering Sub Saharan African risk issues for readers in 120 countries.

Monsieur Hadj Mohamed SEBA est le Président Directeur Général de la Compagnie Centrale de Réassurance en Algérie (CCR Alger) de 2007 à ce jour. Il avait été Sous-Directeur du contrôle des Assurances au Ministère des Finances pour ensuite devenir le Directeur des Assurances au Ministère des Finances jusqu’à 2007. ETUDES & DIPLOMES : Monsieur SEBA a obtenu son Diplôme de 3eme cycle en finances ; spécialité Assurance (IFID) a Tunis en Décembre 1989. Ensuite, Il a obtenu la Licence en Sciences économiques dont la filière en Economie Financière de l’université d’Alger.

Born in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, Udai holds a BA (Hons.) degree in Business Studies from the University of Westminster, London. He is also a Fellow of The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA) and an Associate Chartered Insurance Broker with the Chartered Insurance Institute of the UK (ACII). Udai has extensive hands-on experience of International Banking, Insurance, Public Relations/Advertising and Management Practice, having worked in all these sectors in various capacities since 1982. In February 2002, he was appointed Managing Director of Afro-Asian Insurance Services Ltd. (AAIS), a respected firm of Lloyd’s Brokers and Risk Management Consultants based in the UK with offices in Africa and Asia. In these roles, he has travelled widely in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Far East to strengthen the company’s international profile and relationships. He has been the author of a few articles on specialist insurance subjects, which have been published in various Finance, Banking and Insurance Trade Press. He has also spoken on various insurance and non-insurance subjects by invitation at International Forums in Africa, India and the UK. Udai lives in London with his family.

Paul is a Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute of London as well as the Insurance Institute of South Africa, and has been in the reinsurance industry since 1974. Paul joined Infiniti after retiring as Managing Director of a leading continental reinsurer. At Infiniti, Paul is the Executive Director responsible for risk and inwards reinsurance. He heads up Infiniti Re and is the Chief Risk Officer.

Monsieur Jean-Baptiste KOUAME N’GUESSAN est âgé de 55 ans, de nationalité Ivoirienne, marié et père de trois (3) enfants. Il est titulaire d’un Baccalauréat série C, d’un Diplôme d’Ingénieur des Travaux Statistiques et du Diplôme d’Etudes Supérieures d’Assurances (DESA) de l’1.I.A. de Yaoundé. Il a débuté sa carrière professionnelle en 1985 à la Direction de la Statistique de Côte d’Ivoire en qualité de Chargé d’Etudes. En 1989, il intègre la Direction des Assurances de Côte d’Ivoire en qualité de Contrôleur des Assurances avec rang de Sous-directeur. De Mai 1993 à Décembre 2007, il occupe le poste de Directeur des Assurances de Côte d’Ivoire. Depuis Janvier 2008 jusqu’à ce jour, il est le Directeur Général de la CICA-RE à Lomé. Il a également exercé et exerce d’autres fonctions et activités pouvant se résumer ainsi qu’il suit: Ancien Professeur vacataire sur les Bases Techniques d’Assurances, ancien Administrateur de la CICA-RE et d’AFRICA RE. Membre du Comité des Experts en Assurances de la CIMA et Administrateur de l’lIA depuis 1993. Membre titulaire de la Commission Régionale de Contrôle des Assurances (CRCA) de la CIMA. Administrateur de plusieurs institutions pour le compte de la CICA-RE. Membre du Comité de sélection du Prix Ahmadou KOUROUMA de la FANAF.

A Gambian by birth and nationality, Mr. William B. Coker started his insurance career in 1980 with the Gambia National Insurance Corporation and rose through the ranks to become its first Deputy Managing Director/Deputy CEO in 1994 and later in 1998 was appointed its Managing Director/CEO which position he held until he left the services of the institution in 2005 and was later appointed to his current position as Secretary General/CEO of the West Africa Insurance Companies Association (WAICA) – a sub-regional body of insurance institutions in West Africa and the Parent organisation of the West African Insurance institute (WAII) in The Gambia and also the WAICA Reinsurance Corporation Plc, in Freetown, Sierra Leone which he was instrumental in setting up. Mr. Coker is a Chartered Insurer, after having successfully attending the CII College of Insurance in Sevenoaks, Kent, U.K. and qualifying as an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute of London, U.K. He attended the prestigious Maastricht School Of Management, Netherlands and earned a Postgraduate qualification (with Distinction) in General and Strategic Management in 1995 He has attended many conferences/seminars/workshops over the years, delivering papers in some of them. He is currently also a part-time lecturer at the West African Insurance Institute, (WAII) in The Gambia and is a Fellow of that Institute. He is also a part-time lecturer at the Ghana Insurance College in Accra, Ghana.

Hervé Blumenthal, Bilingual, was born in 1947. He has an MBA and all his career was in insurance and reinsurance. He has been a Managing Director of Marsh, largest insurance broker in the world, and later Member of Senior Management of PartnerRe, 5th largest world reinsurer with US$15 billion in assets, in charge of Africa and Asia. He is presently Chief Executive Officer Africa of Cooper Gay, but in Africa he only works as a Lloyd’s coverholder, underwriting reinsurance for Lloyd’s largest syndicate, Catlin. He has been a professor at the top French business university, HEC where he created the insurance course. Now he lectures (both Africa and insurance/reinsurance) to post graduate students at la Sorbonne, the Paris University. He was appointed Foreign Trade Advisor to the French Government by the French Prime Minister as recognition of his knowledge in international business. He is a Commander in the French Navy Reserve and has been awarded the two highest French medals: the Legion of Honor and the National Order of Merit. He is fluent in English and French.

Administrateur de la société Atlas Courtage Tunisie « ACT », (Tunisie) : société de courtage d’assurance et de réassurance. Administrateur de la société Atlas Technology Solutions Tunisie « ATST » , (Tunisie) : société de formation continue. Président de la société Atlas Reinsurance Consultants « ARC », (Suisse) : société de courtage de réassurance. Président de la société Atlas Technology Solutions International « ATSI » (Tunisie) : Société de services informatiques à l’assurance. Président de la société BENCORP (Luxembourg) : Holding financièrePrésident de la société Atlas Conseil Tunisie « ATCO », (Tunisie) : Société de services à l’assurance. Président de la société Atlas Conseil International « ACI », (Tunisie) : Société de services à l’assurance.

Mr. Richard LOWE is the Founder (1998) and Executive Chairman of the ACTIVA Group. In this role, he successfully led the expansion of the group throughout Africa and the development of its insurance and reinsurance businesses. In addition to his position in the ACTIVA Group, Richard LOWE created and Chairs the board of the Globus Network (“Réseau GLOBUS”) -the largest insurance network in Africa- which delivers insurance solutions in almost 40 countries in the continent. Prior to founding the ACTIVA Group, Richard LOWE spent more than 18 years in senior management roles with a leading international insurance company. He serves on the board of several companies in the financial sector (insurance and reinsurance, banking) and is a former Chairman of the Association of African Francophone Insurers (FANAF). Richard LOWE (60 years) is married and father of three children.

Delphine Maidou graduated Cum Laude Bachelor of Science in Business & Accounting from University of Pittsburgh, USA in 1996. After graduating, she joined Ohio Casualty Group of Insurance initially as a Senior Commercial Multi-Lines Insurance Underwriter & Marketing Rep and latterly as Regional Underwriting Manager. Delphine is Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriter from the American Institute for CPCU and in 2005 Delphine completed her Masters of Science in Insurance Management from Boston University, Boston, MA, USA. In 2005, she joined Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty Canada and held positions as a Liability Underwriter and Head of Market Management where she was responsible for identifying potential markets, client and broker target segments to support business development across Canada. Delphine moved to South Africa in 2012 to assume her current role as CEO of Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty, Africa (the corporate industrial insurance carrier of Allianz Group). She is responsible for crafting and implementing the Company strategy across all of sub-Saharan Africa. She is currently the COO-Member of the Board of Management for Africa- Allianz SE

Mr. Manuel Gonçalves was appointed Chairman and CEO of ENSA, the leading insurance company in Angola, in September 2006. He began his carrier as a lawyer and law lecturer, later founding the Angolan Bar Association. He participated actively in key moments of the Angolan history, such as in the drafting and approval of the 1992 Constitution. He is based in Luanda-Angola and acts also as Chairman of other Organisations such as Grupo ENSA, E.P., ASAN- the Angolan Insurance Companies Association and Standard Chartered Bank Angola. As a Chairman of these companies, he is responsible for overseeing their strategic goals and overall objectives.

Ms. Prisca Soares is the Secretary General of African Insurance Organisation – AIO which has close to 400 members from Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia. She has been in the insurance industry for about 38 years. At NICON Insurance, Nigeria where she worked from 1978 to 2006, she rose through the ranks, becoming the first female Managing Director. Ms. Soares has served on the Executive Committees of regional insurance associations namely WAICA, AIO, FAIR and was Chairman, Council of Bureaux of ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme. She has also sat on the Boards of companies in the insurance, banking, communications and hospitality sectors. She has presented papers and received many awards in the Nigerian and West African insurance industry. She has attended many insurance courses at home and abroad as well as courses at Witts, Lagos and Harvard Business Schools.

Tony has 19 Years Insurance and Investment experience as a Legal Advisor/Product Developement and Distribution Specialist. (Tony qualified with a BLC (Civil Law degree), then did a Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning at the University of the Free State to be registered as a CFP and then obtained an MBA from GIBS in Johannesburg) He is also a Non-Executive Director in the Life Insurance industry and consults with various entities on strategy issues in the financial services space. Tony has a broad knowledge and understanding of the dynamics, developments and topical issues of the African and global financial services landscape. He served on numerous industry bodies, representing companies and industries regarding various financial services stakeholder issues. Tony is currently owner and editor of COVER Publications, a multi-platform news and information provider. COVER is South Africa’s longest running financial services trade publication operating on multiple print and online platforms, having been established in 1988. In his spare time Tony invests time mentoring and assisting African refugees to empower themselves entrepreneurially and is involved in group work with parents of teenagers at risk on the Cape Flats. He loves reading, spending time in and on the sea and eveything related to nature.

Oye Hassan-Odukale has since 1994 held the position of Managing Director/CEO of Leadway Assurance Company Limited, a foremost underwriting firm in Nigeria. His appointment was preceded by over 14 years of experience in insurance brokerage, underwriting, investments and general management. Hassan-Odukale is a recipient of the national honour, Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) and sits on the board of Leadway Pensure PFA Limited, The Infrastructure Bank Plc, Governing Council Member of Babcock University and currently, the Chairman of FBN Bank (UK) Limited. Oye is a Munich Re scholar, Securities and Exchange Commission accredited Investment Manager and Portfolio Advisor. He is married with children and enjoys listening to music, reading and travelling.

A lawyer by training, Sivam served as a diplomat for Singapore for 10 years in New York and Geneva where he also served as an arbitrator in a celebrated trade dispute between the US and the EU. He was an Economic Correspondent with The Straits Times for two years before launching Asia Insurance Review in 1991which today is the premier professional regional insurance magazine of Asia. In 2006, he launched Middle East Insurance Review incorporating Global Takaful. To support the industry in its march towards greater professionalism and higher standards, he has organised more than 250 technical insurance conferences in Asia and the Middle East under the AIR and MEIR banners. Under his stewardship, AIR and MEIR have scored several kudos including launching the prestigious Asia Insurance Industry Awards, Middle East Insurance Industry Awards and the Asia CEO Insurance Summit series. Among other things, Sivam is Chairman of the Singapore International Reinsurance Conference, a member of the Geneva Association’s Communications Advisory Council, a PR consultant to the Asean Insurance Council and to the East Asian Insurance Congress, Manager of the MENA Insurance CEO Club and an Ambassador of the International Insurance Society.

Mr. Kotb is the Chairman of the Insurance Federation of Egypt From 2008 till now. He was the Chairman of the Federation of Afro-Asian Insurers and Reinsurers “FAIR” from October 2011 till September 2013 and he is now the Vice – Chairman of FAIR . He was the Chairman of the African Insurance Organisation “AIO” from May 2013 to May 2014 and he is now the Vice – Chairman of AIO . He is also Board Member of international Federation of Takaful and Islamic companies from 2005 till now. He has Contributed to the development of the insurance and reinsurance Industry in the Egyptian Market as well as the Asian and African continents as he has occupied several positions on local and regional levels including: Began career in 1960 with the Egyptian Reinsurance Company, Egypt, and continued to work for Egypt Re till the end of 1972 holding leading positions in its management. Joined Al Ahleia Insurance Company, Kuwait from 1973 till 1999 holding leading positions in its top management. Supervised the affairs of the Hawk Insurance Company, United Kingdom “Al Ahleia Subsidiary British Insurance Company” during the period 1979 till 1999.

Shiamdass Appannah is the current CHAIRMAN of the REINSURANCE SOLUTIONS GROUP based in Mauritius; he will retire from this position on March 31st, 2016, to take up the role of the Group Chairman of the Board, and continue in a consulting role with the Group. Mr. Appannah joined the Insurance Industry in 1972 in Mauritius, and later moved to Nairobi to take up the position of Regional Director of Africa Re. In 1996 he returned to Mauritius to found the Alexander Forbes companies in Mauritius, which later became REINSURANCE SOLUTIONS (after a change of shareholding) in which he remains as a significant shareholder. During his tenure at REINSURANCE SOLUTIONS, he has grown the company to become a market leader in Africa, establishing representative offices in Nairobi and Abidjan and starting a 100% subsidiary office in London to better service the African Industry’s needs and capacity offered by the London market, and represent the African “Flagship” in London. Mr. Appannah holds an MBA from Cass Business School, London and us a Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute London.

Mr. NYAMEMBA Patrick Tumbo is the Chief Executive Officer at Jubilee Insurance Company of Kenya. He has over 25 years of experience in the financial services sector with a bias in the insurance industry. His varied career includes Reinsurance and Insurance Underwriting, Product Development, Marketing, Business Development, Business Strategy, General Management and corporate leadership. As CEO at Jubilee Insurance, Patrick has contributed to its impressive business growth and development since April 2008. During this period, The Jubilee Insurance Company of Kenya Limited has recorded tremendous growth in its Gross Revenues and Profitability; and expanded regionally into Burundi and Mauritius as well as increasing the product range offered to the market. Jubilee is currently the No. 1 insurer in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania and in E. Africa with a Gross Premium Revenue of Kes 23.4bn and Profit before Tax Kes 3.15bn in 2013. In his past roles, Patrick was instrumental in the growth and rebranding of AIG Kenya and improving its business growth and profitability up to March 2008. With short stints at CIC and ZEP RE, he intermittently rose over the ranks in AIG (then known as Alico General Division) from a university student on attachment, then underwriter and various managerial functions and finally the position of General Manager before joining Jubilee. He also worked as the Business Development Manager at ZEP Re (PTA Re) where he restructured the Common Market for Eastern & Southern Africa (COMESA) Yellow Card Insurance & Reinsurance Pool’s administrative function and reporting framework in 2004. He also played a key strategic role in the revival of Cooperative Insurance Company after its denial of License in 1995 along with the defunct Kenya National Assurance. He tactically helped mobilize additional capital from the Kenya Cooperative Movement and the infusion of preference shares from the International Cooperative Alliance’s insurance arm, the ICMIF that enabled Cooperative Insurance to resume trading. Patrick has a Masters degree in Business Administration (MBA) in Strategic Management (Major) and a Bachelor of Commerce (Insurance) both from the University of Nairobi. He is a Chartered Insurer, an Associate of Chartered Insurance Institute, a member of the Society of Fellows of The Chartered Insurance Institute of London, UK and an Associate of the Insurance Institute of Kenya. Patrick serves as a Director in the Jubilee Group of Companies (Kenya, Burundi, and Mauritius), Property Development Management Limited and B-Five Movers Limited. He is a Trustee of the Jubilee Insurance Samaritan Award (JISA), the Jubilee Children Fund, and Jubilee Staff Retirement Fund. Patrick is also a Director of the Board of the Association of Kenya Insurers and Chairs the Ethics & Self-Regulation Committee of the Industry Association. He is also a Director of the Board of The Globus Network whose Head Quarters is Doula, Cameroon. The Globus Network is a Panafrican Insurance Network with membership in over 34 Anglophone, Francophone and Lusho-phone countries. Patrick is also a Judge on the Panel of Judges of the African Insurance Awards. In society, Patrick is a family man having married his beautiful wife Mary some 24 years back and they are blessed with four children: Bernard (Australia), Beverlyne (Canada), Beryl (Kenya) and Britney (Kenya). When not working, he likes staying with his family and also enjoys reading, music, travelling, golfing and participating in charity.

Mr Karanja Kabage has been an Insurance practitioner since 1973. He worked for AIG leading to setting up of independent and successful Insurance/Reinsurance Broking Companies respectively. He is the Group Chairman of Pacific and FirstRe. In the past, he has held positions in both Public and Private Sectors and in 1999/2002, he presided over the Liberalization of the airwaves in Kenya as Chairman of the Communications Authority. He has been Chairman of the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) and Chairman Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA). Mr Kabage is also an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, member of International Bar Association and Commonwealth Law Association. His specialization and focus is in International Trade & Investment law, Intellectual Property Rights and Constitutional Law. He is the Senior Partner with EKN LLP Advocates, Nairobi. He is a holder of BSc, MBA, LLB and LLM, a Member, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (MCIArb) and holds an International Nuclear Law Diploma. He has a passion for advancement of professionalism and education.

Béné Boévi LAWSON