Easvarie Naidoo
Lloyd’s Representative & Head of Compliance
Lloyd's South Africa
Tell us a little about yourself and your career in insurance.
I landed in insurance by accident, in 2008, and never left! I have worked at Old Mutual Insure, the South African Insurance Association (SAIA) and now at Lloyd’s.
How did you come to join the GWII?
Lloyd’s was one of the sponsors for an event in 2022 and I started attending quite a few GWII events. I think it’s important for women to have their own platforms and GWII provides all that and more!
Why do you believe this is an important forum for women in the insurance sector?
GWII focuses on female contributors to the industry, and in doing so, provides a valuable forum for networking, professional growth, motivational talks, seminars and not to mention fun events where women can enjoy themselves!
What excites you about the year ahead and the role you will be playing on the committee in 2023?
Just having another opportunity at being the best version of myself excites me about the year ahead! I am also looking forward to working with a phenomenal group of women in the GWII Committee. I have watched them make magic with the events and opportunities they have put together for women in our industry, in 2022, and I’m excited to be a part of that in 2023!
Molebatsi Langa
Head: Strategic Accounts
Old Mutual Insure
Tell us a little about yourself and your career in insurance.
I started my career in the insurance industry as a Learner through the Hollard Select Brokers Learnership at Multifund Financial & Insurance Services in 2007. On completion of the programme, I was offered a permanent position as a Junior Commercial Underwriter and assisted a Senior Portfolio Manager doing renewals, endorsements and new business quotes. I moved on to work for Absa Insurance Company as a Broker Consultant Assistant and then later I was promoted to Broker Consultant in 2011. I joined Old Mutual Insure as an Accounts Manager in 2015, managing the portfolio and profitability of our Personal Group Schemes. The role evolved over the years and that led to me focusing more on the UMA portfolio before I was promoted to the Head of Strategic Accounts in 2022.
How did you come to join the GWII?
I was a mentee in the IIG Roots & Wings mentorship programme in 2021 and I had the privilege of being co-mentored by Catherine Albertyn, who is a Committee Member of the GWII. We have kept in touch post the completion of the program and she recommended that I apply to become a member of the committee.
Why do you believe this is an important forum for women in the insurance sector?
Part of the reason why I agreed to put my hand up to serve on this committee and others is because I am passionate about ensuring that women are 1. represented in such forums and 2. that equal opportunities are afforded to women for their professional advancement in the workplace and I believe that this aligns to the GWII’s mission to support the professional and personal development of women. Throughout my career, I have been fortunate enough to be led and mentored by women who have created an environment and opportunities that have helped me grow and develop in my career as well in my personal life and nothing gives me more joy than to pay it forward. It is important for us as the GWII to provide a platform for women to celebrate their own strengths and power, and to create a safe space for women to show up as their authentic selves.
What excites you about the year ahead and the role you will be playing on the committee in 2023?
I am excited about the connections and friendships that I am going to build on this new journey. Next year’s GWII events are already booked in my calendar and off course, there is a lot of work that needs to be done to make these events a success, but I love a good challenge. I look forward to making a difference in the lives of the beneficiaries of the charities that we are going to be partnering with and organizing events and programmes that are going to be meaningful to the lives of women across the industry.
Sherri-Anne Steyn
Claims Specialist
Leppard & Associates
Tell us a little about yourself and your career in insurance.
I graduated with my BCom Law & LLB degree from the University of the Western Cape at the beginning of 2020. I commenced my short-lived articles of clerkship in the debt collections department at a small firm in the northern suburbs of Cape Town, and then moved to a medium sized conveyancing firm where I worked as a candidate attorney for a short while. Then, in May 2021, I moved to JHB, where I started, and am still employed, as a Claims Specialist at Leppard. Outside of work, I spend my time cooking, shopping and doing HIIT workouts.
How did you come to join the GWII?
I recently joined the Brand Committee at my place of work, which is an internal committee that facilitates and serves as a support function to our Executive Head of Marketing, Milesha Chetty, who is also a GWII Committee Member. The Brand Committee assists with inter alia the planning of our annual year- end- function, planning our annual team building activity, planning and facilitating monthly staff interactions etc Milesha recommended that I join GWII as a Committee Member… and the rest is history.
Why do you believe this is an important forum for women in the insurance sector?
I started my career during covid and have found that young people, particularly young women, battle with networking or haven’t been given the platform to network. I would hope that my appointment as a GWII Committee Member sparks an interest amongst other younger females in the industry, who could possibly see myself and my fellow GWII Committee Members as their relatable peers, in which they are encouraged to network and mingle beyond their places of work. In addition, we spend many hours of our day invested in our work and for this reason, I believe that it is imperative for us, women, to have a sounding board that is beyond our immediate places of work. When we have a sounding board, we’re able to realise and conquer the challenges that we face in the workplace, as a unit. As Martha Goedert said, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”
What excites you about the year ahead and the role you will be playing on the committee in 2023?
I recently graduated with my BCom LLB and have been on a mission to spread “the word”, particularly amongst younger legal graduates that: there are other career paths that one can pursue, whilst using one’s legal qualifications and background, other than “the norm” legal professions e.g., becoming an attorney or a judge etc. SA’s unemployment rate, particularly amongst our youth, remains a concern; the difficulty that legal graduates face to secure placement for their articles of clerkship; and the overpopulated industry. These are just a few reasons why I feel that the above needs to be addressed and openly discussed with legal graduates. Joining the insurance industry, with a legal background, has been greatly rewarding for myself and I believe that I can use this platform, to persuade young legal graduates to pursue the insurance industry.
Tanya Moroka
Manager: Business Development & Distribution
Credit Guarantee Insurance Corporation of Africa Ltd
Tell us a little about yourself and your career in insurance.
I am a Trade Credit Insurance Expert with over 20 years’ experience in both the direct and broker market. I started out as an underwriter and later advanced into a Specialised Trade Credit Insurance Broker. My passion is listening to clients’ challenges and applying industry and market knowledge to find a solution best suited for their business needs. During the last 9 years I have presented Trade Credit programs to a huge part of JSE listed companies and learned that a “one size solution fits all” does not apply in this industry. I have a proven track record to being a trusted adviser to my clients and building and maintaining strong relationships. I am truly enthusiastic about meeting new clients and finding new innovative solutions for them. I have recently returned to the direct insurance market, Credit Guarantee, to head up their Business Development and Distribution team. My current purpose right now is to motivate, inspire and uplift others into believing that they can do anything if only they only believe in themselves. I currently manage an all-female team. It is incredible seeing how we’ve all come together and support each other.
In my personal life my passion extends to sports. I truly believe that a healthy body equals a healthy mind. I have been training for a full year to compete in my second bodybuilding competition in 2023. I believe that true growth is born when we are met with difficulty. I have a strong fitness goal that keeps me committed, determined and disciplined to fulfill my goals.
How did you come to join the GWII?
In the broker industry, GWII is a known organisation of knowledge and women doing things in this industry, Marsh introduced me to this organisation.
Why do you believe this is an important forum for women in the insurance sector?
I believe when women work together, we can accomplish so much more, we encourage, applaud and assist each other, which I find refreshing and motivating as it disrupts the stereotypical thinking that women are not able to support each other. I joined this forum to meet likeminded strong women from all walks of life as it gives me a sense of community. I must say over the years I have meet many incredible women. One my favourite quotes is “if you want to see real change and growth within yourself, spend time with stronger powerful women.”
What excites you about the year ahead and the role you will be playing on the committee in 2023?
“Shoot for the moon, and if you miss you will still be among the stars” Les Brown. The year 2023 for me personally would be the ability to be part of the hosting committee where I would like the opportunity to inspire, motivate and uplift women in this industry, in each of their personal lives extending to their sisters, daughters and mothers to dream big and know that you are enough, “life has no limitations except the ones you make” Les Brown. So, keep dreaming BIG dreams.