AFRICA-RE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Fellow
- Member of the Steering Committee of the East African Community Financial Sector Development
Alhaj Kaddunabbi Ibrahim Lubega is a Fellow and Certified Professional of the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance (ANZIIF) with over 20 years hands-on experience in finance operations, regulation and supervision. He has passion for good governance, policy making, standard setting and capacity building. Currently, he is the Chief Executive Officer of the Insurance Regulatory Authority of Uganda (IRA) and Chairman of the East African Insurance Supervisors Association (EAISA).
Alhaj Kaddunabbi is also the Past President of the African Insurance Organisation (AIO), 2017/18. As Chief Executive Officer, Alhaj Kaddunabbi has presided over several reforms (Legal and Regulatory) aimed at strengthening the oversight role of the Authority.
Alhaj Kaddunabbi is a member of the Steering Committee of the East African Community Financial Sector Development and Regionalisation project, Financial Markets Development Apex Committee, Accountability Sector Steering Committee, among others. He brings to these committees his expertise in finance and legislative disciplines. He also sits on regional and international committees such as the East African Insurance Financial sector and Regionalisation projects steering committee and Access to Insurance Initiative Governing Council, respectively. These engagements have given him an opportunity to gain deeper understanding of the workings of the broader Financial Markets ranging from Insurance and Pension, Banking, to Capital Markets.
Job Titles:
- Company
- Managing Director, African Reinsurance Corporation South Africa ( ARCSA )
After graduating from university in 1986, Mr Tennick joined Swiss Re in Johannesburg as a graduate trainee. During a 14-year career he worked in various capacities culminating in management of the underwriting and subsequently the client management functions.
He then joined the Imperial Holdings Group in Johannesburg and set up Imperial Reinsurance before moving to the Group's insurance business, Regent Insurance, as an executive director with various responsibilities including underwriting, reinsurance and risk management. He was joint CEO of the Regent Insurance Group at the time he left the Group.
Mr Tennick holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of Cape Town and is an Associate (ACII) and Fellow (FCII) of the Chartered Insurance Institute (UK).
He became Managing Director of African Reinsurance Corporation South Africa in April 2018.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Chief Executive Officer of Sanlam
Delphine Traoré is the Chief Executive Officer of SanlamAllianz General Insurance since September 2023, following the successful merger of Allianz and Sanlam operations across the African continent.
Prior to this appointment, she served as CEO of Allianz Africa from November 2021 to August 2023, while retaining her previous roles as Member of the Board of Directors and Chief Operating Officer, positions she has held since 2017.
She joined the Allianz Group in 2005 at the Canadian subsidiary of Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS). From 2012 to 2017, she served as CEO of AGCS Africa in South Africa.
Delphine holds a Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) certification from the American Institute for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters. She has served consecutively as Vice-President and then President of the African Insurance Organization (AIO) and as President of the Insurance Institute of South Africa. She is a member of the Board of Directors of Africa Reinsurance Corporation (Africa Re) and sits on the boards of African Risk Capacity Ltd (ARC), the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), and Ivanhoe Mines as a Non-executive Director.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Group Managing Director
- Non - Executive Chairman
He rose to the current position of Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Africa Re in July 2011 after a transitional period of 2 years during which he served successively as Deputy Managing Director and Deputy Managing Director / Chief Operating Officer. Prior to joining Africa Re in 2009, he served on the Group Board of Africa Re between 2003 and 2005 while working in the primary insurance sector.
His professional career started in 1991 in the insurance industry where he served practically in all the accounting, reinsurance, technical and marketing departments with the leading insurance companies in Burundi (SOCABU s.m.) and Rwanda (SONARWA s.a.), before becoming the Deputy Managing Director in 2001 and, early in 2008, the Chief Executive Officer of SONARWA s.a.
Dr KAREKEZI holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics (University of Burundi), Postgraduate diplomas in Business Administration (Edinburgh Business School and University of Liverpool, both in UK), a Master's degree in Management (University of Burundi), an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration (Commonwealth University, UK) and a Doctorate in Business Administration (Paris School of Business, France & Galilee International Management Institute, Israel).
He speaks fluently English, French, Swahili and other African languages.
Since 1996, he has contributed significantly to the development of the insurance and reinsurance industry in Africa through his involvement and leadership in various national, regional and continental initiatives and organizations. He has equally participated actively, as speaker, in seminars, conferences, symposia and other fora across the world on issues of insurance development, insurance protection gap, risk management, insurtech and leadership.
He has served as Chairman and member of governing bodies of various financial institutions and foundations in Africa. He is currently the Chairman of Africa Re (South Africa) Limited, Chairman of Africa Retakaful Company (Egypt), Member of the Executive Council of the International Insurance Society (IIS), and a Member of the Executive Committee of the African Insurance Organization (AIO) where he chairs the Finance Committee.
Job Titles:
- Vice Chairman
- Chairman of the Financial Regulatory Authority
Dr Mohamed Farid Saleh was appointed Chairman of the Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA) of the Arab Republic of Egypt in August 2022 and is also a Board Member of the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE).
In September 2022, he was elected Chair of the IOSCO Growth and Emerging Markets Committee (GEMC) and Vice Chair of IOSCO Board. Furthermore, Dr Farid is currently the Vice Chair of the Advisory Board for GFANZ Africa Network.
Throughout his outstanding professional career, Dr Farid has held a number of leading positions, amongst others, the Executive Chairman of the Egyptian Exchange (EGX) since August 2017 and his tenure was extended for another period. During this period, he also held many significant international positions namely; Chairman of the Federation of Euro-Asian Stock Exchanges (FEAS) from 2017 to 2019 and from 2021 to August 2022; Chairman of the Arab Federation of Capital Markets (AFCM) from 2019 to2021, Chairman of the Emerging Markets Working Group at the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) from 2017 to 2021. In addition, Dr Farid served as Board Member of the African Securities Exchanges Association (ASEA) from 2017 to August 2022. Prior to his appointment as Executive Chairman of EGX, he was Chairman and CEO of Dcode EFC - a leading economic forecasting firm in Egypt.
Between 2013 and 2016, Dr Farid was External Consultant on Venture Capital (VC) and Financial Leasing for the World Bank Group in Egypt, and a Member of the Capital Market Advisory Committee established by the Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA). In addition, he served as Vice Chairman of EGX from 2010 to2011 and part-time lecturer for Financial Markets, International Finance, and Financial Derivatives at the American University in Cairo (AUC) and the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT).
The areas of reforms that he embarked upon were: a complete revamp of the insurance regulatory and legal framework in Egypt, deepening capital markets and financial inclusion through digitalization and enabling the adoption of new technological advancement in the field of financial technology.
Dr. Farid holds a PhD in Financial Economics from Cardiff Metropolitan University - UK, an LLM in International Financial & Commercial law from King's College London (KCL) - UK, an MSc in Quantitative Finance from Bayes Business School - City, University of London - UK, an MSc in Economics, in Project Analysis, Finance & Investment from York University - UK, and an MBA from the Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport (AASTMT) - Egypt. He also holds a certificate in Venture Capital from UC Berkley - USA, a certificate in Time-Series Analysis from Timberlakes, Cambridge University - UK, and a BSc in Foreign Trade and Economics from Helwan University - Egypt.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Managing Director / Chief Operating Officer Elect
Mr. Ephraim Kiiza BICHETERO started his career in 1994 as Underwriter trainee in Pan World Insurance Uganda and rose to become head of the reinsurance department. In 1998, he joined Goldstar Insurance Uganda as head of underwriting, claims and reinsurance and eventually became Assistant General Manager. In 2002, he was recruited as Head of Technical Operations in charge of underwriting, reinsurance and claims in the then United Assurance Ltd (now UAP Old Mutual General Insurance Uganda Ltd).
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Independent Non - Executive Director
Mr Flejou is currently the Chief Executive Officer, in charge of New Markets Development, AXA Mediterranean & Latin American Region. He attended École Centrale de Paris, Institut des Actuaires Français and DESCF graduating as Engineer, Actuary and Accountant respectively.
Job Titles:
- Regional Director, Cairo Office
Mr. Gamal Mohamed SAKR joined Africa Re in July 2020 as Deputy Regional Director of the Cairo Regional Office and was promoted to the position of Regional Director in January 2021.
He started his career in 1992 in banking. He moved to insurance in 1993 and worked as Reinsurance Officer in Pharaonic Insurance. He became the Head of the Reinsurance Department in 1999. He joined GIG Egypt as Reinsurance Manager in 2000, and AIG Egypt in 2002 as Property Manager. He was recruited by Allianz Egypt in 2007 as head of the general insurance.
In 2013 he moved to Saudi Arabia to Rajhi Takaful, the 3rd largest insurer of the country, as Head of General Takaful; in 2017 he returned to Egypt and joined Misr Insurance, the largest insurer in the country, as Executive Deputy Chairman (Board Member) for Insurance & Reinsurance.
Mr. SAKR holds a Bachelor Degree in Accounting from the University of Ain Shams, Cairo. He is an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute of London (ACII).
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager, Finance & Accounts
Job Titles:
- Corporate Secretary
- Director of Human Resources
Job Titles:
- Independent Non - Executive Director
Job Titles:
- Technical Accounts Manager
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director of Insurance and Member of the Insurance Supervisory Commission
Mr MARAMI is currently the Director of Insurance and member of the Insurance Supervisory Commission, Ministry of Finance, Algeria.
Job Titles:
- Director of General Services
Dr Kantam Nagou has over two decades of progressive and diverse experience in international financial institutions. In September 2003, he joined the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) as Information System Manager at its headquarters in Dakar, Senegal. His responsibilities included overseeing the Information Technology Services for the West African Monetary Union (WAMU) Retirement Fund Institution (CRRAE-UMOA). Having joined Africa Re in 2009, he worked in different capacities before rising to the current position of Director of General Services. He was appointed Assistant Director in charge of Projects Management & Information Security in August 2021, a position he held until his appointment as Director of General Services in July 2024. Dr Kantam Nagou holds a Doctor of Engineering Degree (D.Eng.) from the George Washington University (USA) with specialisation in Cybersecurity Analytics, an Executive MBA Degree in Business Administration (Entrepreneurship) from the Faculty of Economics and Management, Chekh Anta Diop University, Dakar (Senegal) and a Master's Degree in Information Systems and Telecommunications from Ecole Supérieure Multinationale des Télécommunications (ESMT), Chekh Anta Diop University, Dakar (Senegal). In addition, he is a holder of several cybersecurity defensive and leadership certifications, including Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), Certified Chief Information Security Officer (CCISO), Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC), and Certified Information Security Manager (CISM). These credentials equip him with the necessary expertise to effectively drive strategic cybersecurity goals within acceptable risk appetites. He speaks fluently English, French and other African languages.
Job Titles:
- Regional Director, Casablanca Office
Mr Mohamed Larbi NALI joined Africa Re in July 2016. He started his career in 1993 as Director of the Life Department in Société Centrale de Réassurance (SCR). Between 1997 and 2012, he successively held many positions namely, Director of the Actuarial Department, Deputy Director in charge of Marketing and Operations. In 2012, he was appointed Managing Director of Société Centrale de Réassurance (SCR).
He is the founder of the Moroccan Association of Actuaries and was its Chairman from 2010 to 2013. He was also the Chairman of the African Centre for Catastrophe Risks (ACCR), Vice- Chairman of the African Insurance Organisation (AIO) and Vice-Chairman of the General Arab Insurance Federation (GAIF).
He holds a Postgraduate degree in Mathematics from the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium and also a Maîtrise in Actuarial Sciences from the Business School of the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Independent Board Member of the Moroccan Investment
Meryem Chami is a graduate of "Ecole Nationale Supérieure Télécom Bretagne" and holds an Executive MBA from Ecole des Ponts et Chaussées, along with a certificate in Management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Her professional career began as a Network and Telecommunication Consultant at Siticom in Paris. In this role, she worked on projects throughout Europe, Asia and Africa, and developed Siticom's presence in Morocco.
Upon her return to Morocco, she joined Attijariwafabank, where she successively held the positions of Group Purchasing Director and Director in charge of implementing the Information Technology Master Plan.
In 2008, she became part of OCP, the leading Moroccan company operating in mining and chemical industry, initially as Chief of Staff to the Group's CEO and later as Deputy General Secretary of the Group in charge of transformation (HR, IS, communication, organization, consulting, etc.). She subsequently served as the Executive Director responsible for planning, steering and transformation of the group.
Meryem Chami played a pivotal role in launching Capgemini Engineering in Morocco in 2015, global leader in engineering, serving as CEO since January 2015. She also expanded their presence into Tunisia in July 2017. By March 2020, Capgemini Morocco had a work force of over 2000 engineers, and Tunisia employed nearly 300 engineers. She was a member of Altran Group Executive Committee.
In March 2020, she joined AXA Assurance Maroc and CIMA (Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Gabon) as Director of Transformation and subsequently took on the role of CEO from October 2020.
She has been appointed as AXA Africa CEO since September 2023 covering 10 countries.
Furthermore, Meryem serves as an independent Board member of the Moroccan Investment and Export Development Agency (AMDIE), HPS (payment leading company) and the Morocco Business Council (CGEM). She is also a corresponding member of France's Foreign Trade Advisors. As AXA representative, she also holds Board member positions in BMCI (BNP Paribas subsidiary in Morocco), CFG, SCR (Moroccan reinsurer), Public Transport Insurer (CAT) and many African AXA subsidiaries.
Job Titles:
- Director of Finance & Accounts
Mr. Moussa BAKAYOKO was appointed Director of Finance & Accounts in September 2022.
Prior to this position, Mr. BAKAYOKO was Director of Internal Audit. Before then, he was Assistant Director, Finance and Administration, in the Regional Office of Africa Re in Mauritius since 2014. He joined Africa Re in 2006 as Financial controller. He later on held the positions of Group Acting Director, Finance and Accounts, and Assistant Director, Finance and Administration, for the Lagos Regional office.
Mr. Bakayoko started his career in Uniconseil, an audit firm, in 1988 and moved later to Protection Ivoirienne, an insurance company, where he was the Chief Accountant for five years, before joining Chronopost International Côte d'Ivoire in 1999 as Administrative and Financial Director.
He has acquired more than 30 years of experience in finance, audit and administration in the insurance and reinsurance sectors.
Mr. BAKAYOKO holds a bachelor's degree in economics and a masters' degree in accounting and finance (MSTCF/DECF). He also holds a postgraduate diploma (DEA) in finance. The three certificates were awarded by the University of Abidjan. He has attended various trainings in finance and accounting.
Award: Mr. BAKAYOKO was the Best Employee of the African Reinsurance Corporation in 2014.
Job Titles:
- Director of Treasury & Investments
Mr Alain ZONGO is an investment professional with more than 20 years of experience in the finance industry. He is a well-appreciated team leader and has worked for several banks, including Ecobank and other renowned organizations. Before his current position, he was the Assistant Director for Treasury and Investment.
He holds a diploma in physics and chemistry from the University of Ouagadougou and a Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. This led him to work for Air Afrique between 1995 and 2002.
Later, he transitioned into banking and finance by obtaining a Bachelor's degree in business management from Check Anta Diop University in Dakar, a Master's degree in banking and finance from CESAG in Dakar and an MBA from Roehampton University in the UK.
He also holds various treasury, investment and ALM management certificates from INSEAD and New York University.
Job Titles:
- Administrateur
- Chairman of African Reinsurance Corporation South Africa Ltd
- Independent Non - Executive Chairman
Mr Bakary Kamara has served as Chairman of African Reinsurance Corporation South Africa Ltd since July 2004, after joining the company as Secretary General of the Group from September 1984 and being appointed Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer in July 1993. He has also been Chairman of Africa Retakaful (Egypt) since April 2009.
Kamara is an Administrateur Civil (the highest category in the French speaking civil service).
He began his career in the insurance industry as a Legal Adviser for SMAR - Mauritania's State insurance company - from 1 May to 11 November 1978. He occupied the role of Deputy Managing Director from September 1979 to January 1984, while also serving as visiting professor in third-year Business Law at the National School of Public Administration (E.N.A.) during the 1978-1979 academic year. From 1980 to 1984 he occupied the role of Director at AFARCO, a Mauritanian real estate company.
Kamara served as Technical Adviser to the Minister of Finance & Trade (in charge of insurance matters and International Trade Relations) from January to August 1984.
He is currently the Executive Chairman of Gras Savoye Mauritania and an International
Job Titles:
- Director of Life Operations
Mr Chris SAIGBE worked as a life insurance specialist in Nigeria for several years before moving to the African Reinsurance Corporation in January 2009. His experience in life insurance and reinsurance management spans over twenty-five years. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Obafemi Awolowo University and a Master's degree in Economics from the University of Lagos both in Nigeria. Mr SAIGBE obtained a Master of Business Administration from Moi University in Nairobi, Kenya. He is an Associate member of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria and a Certified Personal Financial Planner. His wealth of experience in direct life assurance operations and reinsurance comes in handy in leading the life team to fashion appropriate life reinsurance treaties and manage the reinsurance expectations of clients.
Job Titles:
- Corporate Secretary
- in 2014 As Assistant Director, Human Resources & Administration
Mr Guy B. FOKOU was appointed Corporate Secretary of Africa Re in January 2024, a role he now combines with his responsibilities as the Director of Human Resources.
Mr FOKOU joined Africa Re in 2014 as Assistant Director, Human Resources & Administration before being appointed as Director of Human Resources in 2019. His role expanded further when he served as Acting Director of Administration & General Services from May 2022 to June 2024.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Libya Insurance Company
Mr Hafed Mohamed Omran has a BSc specialized in Data Analysis from the Faculty of Accounting, Gharyan, Libya.
He also obtained an MBA from Anglia Ruskin University, London, United kingdom and a Master's degree in Computer Science from Coventry University, United kingdom.
Mr Omran is the current Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Libya Insurance Company (LIC). Prior to this, he held senior positions in the Libyan Capacity Building Centre in Malta and in the Libya Trade Network (LTNet) in Libya. Mr Omran has also served as Executive Manager of DAR AL-KIBRA construction group in Libya, as well as, the head of the distribution and economic marketing department within the economy sector of Gharyan in Libya.
Job Titles:
- Company Secretary
- Executive Director at African Reinsurance Corporation Ltd
Mr Ibrahim Ibisomi is an Executive Director at African Reinsurance Corporation Ltd and occupies the role of General Manager: Finance & Admin. Since joining the corporation in 2000, he has been engaged in managing the financial reporting, budgetary control, investment and administrative functions of the Nairobi Regional Office, and later of Africa Re South Africa where his responsibility extends to overseeing the Risk Management, ICT, Credit Control and Human Resources Management functions. He serves as the Company Secretary and coordinates the company's preparations for the new regulatory framework in South Africa.
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer
- Deputy Managing Director
Since joining the Corporation in 1985, Mr Ken AGHOGHOVBIA worked in different capacities before rising to the position of Regional Director of the Anglophone West Africa Regional Office. He was the pioneer Regional Director of this Office when it was established in 2009 and played a pivotal role in the turnaround of the fortunes of the Regional Office, the African Oil and Energy Pool and the African Aviation Pool.
Mr AGHOGHOVBIA holds a Bachelor of Science in Insurance (Nigeria) and a Master's degree in Business Administration (Nigeria). He is an Associate (ACII) and a Fellow (FCII) of the Chartered Insurance Institute (UK).
He has been a member of various regional professional committees.
Mr AGHOGHOVBIA became Deputy Managing Director / Chief Operating Officer on 1 July 2011.
Job Titles:
- Design Engineer
- Director of Central Operations & Special Risks
Mr Mesfin Abebe Damtew started his professional career as Design Engineer in the then Engineering Design & Tool Enterprise in Ethiopia before joining the insurance industry. In 1995, he joined Ethiopia Insurance Corporation (EIC) as Fire and Engineering Surveyor where he conducted pre and post risk assessments and in 2003 was promoted as Senior Supervisor in the Marine and Aviation Department. From 2008 to 2013 he served in various capacities in the same Corporation namely, Deputy Main Branch Manager, District Director and General Insurance Deputy CEO before Joining Africa Re in September 2013 as Engineering Underwriter in the Nairobi Regional Office.
For 11 years, Mr Mesfin served in various capacities in the Nairobi Regional Office of Africa Re and subsequently rose through the ranks to become Assistant Director - Underwriting and Marketing on 1 August 2021. He was an active member of the Association of Kenyan Reinsurers (AKR) and chaired the technical committee for one year (2023 to 2024).
Mr Mesfin is a graduate of Addis Ababa University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering and holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the United States International University (USIU) - Africa, Nairobi, Kenya. He has also taken short-term training in insurance from various institutes.
He has attended many foreign and local seminars and on various occasions facilitated training in risk survey, property, engineering and marine insurance underwriting.
Award: Mr Mesfin was the 1st runner-up of the African Reinsurance Corporation Group 2021 Employee of the year Award.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Senior Partner With the Firm BDO
Mr Moustapha COULIBALY is currently a senior partner with the firm BDO in Côte d'Ivoire. Previously, he was the managing partner of Grant Thornton Côte d'Ivoire (20122018) and COO of Deloitte & Touche Côte d'Ivoire (2000-2007).
He holds a USA CPA degree (Certified Public Accountant), an MBA degree in Finance & Management from ADELPHI University, Long Island, New York, USA; a bachelor's degree in Management and a Master's degree in Finance from the University of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
Mr COULIBALY was external auditor (Audit Partner) of the AfDB group for 25 years, external auditor of Africa Re for 8 years (as Engagement Partner) and of CICA RE for 9 years (as Engagement Partner).
Effective June 2023, Mr COULIBALY is the chairman elect of the Board of Allianz Côte d'Ivoire Assurance IARD and chairman of the Board of Allianz Côte d'Ivoire Assurance Life.
He also sits on the Board of "Banque Internationale pour le Commerce et l'Industrie" (BICICI Côte d'Ivoire) as an Independent Director, effective April 2023, where he chairs the Audit Committee, and serves in the Risk Committee.
He is the founder of Lycée Maurice DELAFOSSE in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire and served as Chairman of the Board from inception in 2004 to 2017.
Mr Olusegun Ayo Omosehin is a multidisciplinary professional with over three decades of hands-on experience spanning strategic planning, risk management, organizational restructuring, and performance management in the insurance sector.
He is currently the Commissioner for Insurance/Chief Executive Officer, National Insurance Commission, Nigeria. Prior to his appointment in April 2024, he was the Chairman of the Nigerian Insurers Association, the umbrella association of all insurance and reinsurance companies in Nigeria, as well as the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Old Mutual Nigeria Life Assurance Company Limited, the Nigerian subsidiary of the Old Mutual Group, South Africa.
He is a Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (FIIN), and a Fellow of the Institute of Directors (FIoD).
Mr. Omosehin holds an M.Sc. in Economics from University of Lagos, Nigeria, a Master of International Law and Diplomacy (MILD) degree, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science. He equally attended the Oxford Advanced Management and Leadership Programme, Said Business School, University of Oxford, United Kingdom, and is an alumnus of the Lagos Business School, Pan African University.
He was the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc (a publicly quoted insurance company in Nigeria) from 2010 to 2019; and Managing Director/CEO of AIICO General Insurance Company Limited, (the then general insurance arm of AIICO Insurance Plc, Nigeria). Also, he was the MD/CEO of Admiral Insurance Company Limited (Nigeria) between 2003 and 2007.
Job Titles:
- Independent Non - Executive Director
- Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute
Mr Phillip Pettersen has served on the Board at Africa Reinsurance Corporation South Africa Ltd since July 2012, and has been Chairman of the Risk and Underwriting Committee, and a member of the Audit Committee and the Social and Ethics Committee.
He has been in the financial services industry for 43 years, and spent 1972 to 1986 gaining experience in broking and underwriting. From 1986 to 2000 he served as Director of various Alexander Forbes Operating Companies. He was also Managing Director for Forbes Reinsurance Broking Services, Managing Director for Nelson Hurst Reinsurance and Head of New Solutions at Partner Re (Zurich).
From 2000 to 2008 he was based in Switzerland as Head of New Solutions for Partner Re (Bermuda), the sixth largest reinsurance company at the time. Two years later, he returned to the broking profession as MD of the ART division with EW Blanch (UK). The Benfield Group (now AON) soon after bought the company and he was transferred to the ReMetrics team, where he served for six years before occupying the role of Managing Director at Towers Perrin Re Bermuda. While in Bermuda, he was successful in establishing the reinsurance office for the Towers Perrin Group, and substantially growing revenue.
Pettersen's career as a professional Non-executive Director began in 2008 at Flagstone Re SA, previously known as Imperial Re. His portfolio included Chair of the Audit committee and serving on the Risk Committee. Thereafter, he joined the Board at Telesure Investments Holding.
In early 2012, Flagstone Group in Bermuda decided to exit from South Africa. Pettersen was instrumental in selling the portfolio to RMB in July 2013 and it was successfully deregistered and shut down. At the time of the sale he was serving as Chairman of the Board.
He currently serves as a Non-executive Director on six insurance licensed and regulated entities in South Africa and on FSC-regulated Assurance entity International Assurance Limited PCC (IAL) in Mauritius. He is on the Telesure Investment Holdings Board and is Chair of Lakeland Homes Share Block Limited. His other commitments include that of Executive Consultant to NMG Benefits on the restructuring of their short-term broking operation and Africa Health & Accident Insurance initiatives (2010-present) and Lockton Group local representative firstEquity Risk Management Services Ltd as specialist Executive New Business consultant advising them on the technical structuring of large/global corporate clients.
Pettersen is a Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute (UK), a Fellow of the Insurance Institute of South Africa, Chartered Risk Manager.
He is a recipient of the CII International Boleslaw Monic Reinsurance Prize for the Most Meritorious Paper in the 1990 Fellowship Examination (IISA) and the Most Meritorious Paper in the 1992 Fellowship Examination (IISA).
Pettersen was elected as a Fellow of the South African Risk Management Society, an Associate of the Institute of Risk Management and a Fellow of the Institute of Directors - UK and South Africa. He served as the Chair of the Society of Fellows in South Africa and the UK and as a member of the Transvaal Insurance Institute (now known as the Gauteng Institute). He was also a part time lecturer to Wits Risk Management students, covering Reinsurance.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director
- Director of Central Operations
- Regional Director, Nairobi Office
Mr Phocas NYANDWI holds a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from the University of Burundi, Master's in Business Administration (MBA) from the Eastern and Southern African Management Institute (ESAMI) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Insurance from the African Insurance Institute of Tunisia (IAA). He is a Certified Expert in micro-insurance (Frankfurt School of Finance and Management) and was an active member of the technical committee of the Association of Kenyan Reinsurers (AKR) from 2011 to 2019.
Mr NYANDWI started his career in direct insurance in Burundi, where he worked for over 10 years in various managerial positions in non-life and life. In 2008, he joined the Kenya Reinsurance Corporation (Kenya Re) as non-life underwriter in charge of francophone markets.
He was recruited in Africa Re in 2010 as treaty and facultative underwriter in the Nairobi Regional Office, which covers twelve countries in East and Southern Africa. With effect from 1 January 2017, he was appointed Assistant Director, Underwriting and Marketing in the Nairobi Office.
Mr Phocas NYANDWI was appointed Director of Central Operations and Special Risks in the head office on 1 August 2019.
Job Titles:
- Director of Communications & Public Affairs
Mr Roger BONG BEKONDO is a seasoned professional with a rich national and international experience. He is a trained translator-interpreter (Masters in Interpretation -1995- and Masters in Translation -1990) and holds an Executive MBA (2008) from the East and Southern African Management Institute (ESAMI), Arusha, Tanzania. His international career (Africa Re, Lagos, Nigeria, since 2008, and the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda -UNICTR- from 2004 to 2008) was preceded by a solid career in his home country, Cameroon, where he served at the Presidency of the Republic from 1996 to 2004, and at the Ministry of Finance from 1991 to 1996.
On 1 July 2024 he was appointed Director, Communications and Public Affairs at the African Reinsurance Corporation (Africa Re). His main activities within the Africa Re Group consist in supervising the Communications & Public Affairs Department; he is responsible for Corporate Communications, Host Countries Engagement, Protocol Services, Consular & Visa matters, Travel Logistics, Language Services, Records Management and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), etc.
Job Titles:
- Director
- CEO of Nyala Insurance S.C
Mr Yared MOLA has over 30 years of proven track record in risk management, insurance, reinsurance and strategic leadership.
He is a graduate of Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia, holds an MBA from the University of Greenwich UK and is currently a Doctoral (PHD) student at the Paris School of Business. He is also FLMI and ACS.
Mr Yared MOLA is currently the CEO of Nyala Insurance S.C, President of the Association of Ethiopian Insurers and Vice President of the African Insurance Organization (AIO). He is also a board member of the Ethiopian Insurance Fund Administration Agency.
Mr Yared MOLA is a trailblazer in the Ethiopian Insurance Industry and is known for his innovative business leadership skills and insurance and reinsurance expertise. In the 2019 edition of the African Insurance Awards, Mr Yared MOLA was the winner of the CEO of the Year category.
Mr. Jacques DJOFACK is currently serving as Director Financial Management of the African Development Bank since May 2021. In this position, he provides strategic leadership and vision on the financial risk, asset and liability management and treasury-related risk of the African Development Bank Group. He is also the vice-chair of the Bank's management credit risk committee. Prior to that, he worked as Advisor to the Vice-President Finances. He was also a Board member of Advans Banque Congo, representing the African Development Bank.
Job Titles:
- Fellow
- Senior Executive Officer of the Africa Re Underwriting Management Agency Ltd
- Senior Executive Officer, Africa Re Underwriting Management Agency Ltd ( Dubai Office )
Mr. Mohamed Saad ZAGHLOUL was appointed Senior Executive Officer of the Africa Re Underwriting Management Agency Ltd (Dubai Office) in July 2020. He joined Africa Re in October 2018 as Assistant Director, Underwriting and Marketing in the Cairo Regional Office.
Mr. ZAGHLOUL started his career in 2000 in the Egyptian Reinsurance Company (Egypt Re) as underwriter responsible for the treaty and facultative business of the Gulf Region; he later moved to Tawuniya Cooperative Insurance Co. in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Later on, Mr. Mohamed Saad played a vital role in the setting up, formation and management of two key regional reinsurers in the Gulf Region: Al Fajer Retakaful Co. (Kuwait), and Emirates Retakaful Co. (United Arab Emirates).
Mr. ZAGHLOUL is a fellow (FCII) of the Chartered Insurance Institute of London and has more than 20 years' experience in both conventional and Takaful professional Reinsurance across the Arab region.
Job Titles:
- Director / Chief of Staff & Strategy
Since joining Africa Re in 2011 under the Young Professional Programme, Mr. Oluseye OLAKANMI has held several positions across cadres gradually increasing in responsibility from Officer, Manager, Senior Manager, Assistant Director and now a Director with the Corporation. He was the pioneer officer in charge of the Strategy Management Office with responsibility to support the Executive Management in the formulation and execution of the Corporate Strategy. He has a Bachelor's Degree with Honours from the University of Ibadan (Nigeria) and a Master in Business Administration from the University of Cape Town (South Africa). He has several awards for his academic achievements and relevant professional certifications. On 01 July 2024, he was appointed as the Chief of Staff & Strategy to supervise the Executive Management Office and shall be responsible for strategy management, executive support, cycle management, operational excellence, internal collaboration, project reporting, and any other special duties or assignments as may be required.
Job Titles:
- Independent Non - Executive Director
- Board Member of the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation
- Co - Founder of Sithega Holdings
Mr. Themba Baloyi is a Co-Founder of Sithega Holdings, with a focused purpose to invest in companies that enable the magic of financial freedom to be accessible to all. Prior to Sithega, Baloyi founded Discovery Insure Ltd, a Short-term Insurance Company launched in 2011. He worked on the Discovery Insure vision against all the rebuttals until it came to fruition. The Discovery Insure work propelled him to win the 2018 AABLA Entrepreneur of the Year Award. He was honoured as a 2015 World Economic Forum Young Global Leader (WEF-YGL), a tribute bestowed to recognize the most distinguished leaders under the age of 40 around the world.
Mr. Baloyi is a board member of the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation (AGOF); Cube Capital, Prescient Empowerment Trust and New Leaders Foundation (NLF). In 2003 he co-founded Black Insurance Professionals of Southern Africa (BIPSA). He was the initiator and Pretoria Chapter Chair of the mentorship programme for the Young Presidents Organisation (YPO) designed to guide high potential future leaders to achieve their career objectives. He was a Member of the YPO Africa Region Board for 2years where he led the adoption of the Mentorship Programme in various countries in Africa.
Prior to joining Discovery, Mr. Baloyi worked for Rubico Consulting Services where he led a team that was responsible for the design of the accounting processes and client management systems. Some of Mr. Baloyi's work history includes time with Siemens Ltd in Johannesburg and Durban Metro Wastewater Services where he was responsible for budgeting and commercial accounting systems.
Mr. Baloyi joined African Reinsurance Corporation (South Africa) Limited as an Independent Non-Executive Director in March 2020.
Job Titles:
- Regional Director, Mauritius Office
- Senior Manager Underwriting and Marketing in Abidjan Regional Office
Mr. Vincent MURIGANDE joined Africa Re in January 2012 as Senior Manager Underwriting and Marketing in Abidjan Regional Office. He was appointed Assistant Director Underwriting and Marketing in September 2018 and was later promoted to the position of Regional Director at Ebene Office in Mauritius since April 2021.
Mrs Estelle TAGNONGOH TRAORE is a prominent figure in the African insurance industry. She is a former Alternate Director of the Board of Directors of Africa Re and is the current Managing Director of two insurance companies of the BCP-Maroc Group in Côte d'Ivoire namely, Assurance Atlantique Vie and Assurance Atlantique Non-Vie.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Inspector of Finance
Mrs Faouzia ZAABOUL is Inspector of Finance of exceptional level. She is the current Director of Treasury and External Finance at the Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Administrative Reform of the Kingdom of Morocco. Previously, she held the following positions within the same Ministry: Deputy Director of Treasury and External Finance in charge of the "Macroeconomics and Domestic Debt" Unit (2007-2010); Head of the Capital Market Division (1995-2007); Head of the Development of Financial Instruments (1994 - 1995) and Head of service for Bilateral Funding (1992-1994).
Job Titles:
- Independent Non - Executive Director
- Independent Non - Executive Director for African Reinsurance Corporation South Africa
Mrs Sizakele Mzimela has served as an Independent Non-executive Director for African Reinsurance Corporation South Africa since June 2013, also serving as Chairperson of the Social and Ethics Committee and a member of the Audit Committee.
She currently chairs the board of JSE-listed company Cargo Carriers and also serves on the board of Bryte Insurance amongst others. Her past directorships include being a non-executive director at SA Tourism.
Mzimela has held various pioneering roles within the aviation industry. This includes being the first black woman to start an airline and the first female appointed to the board of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in 67 years.
She is the founder of Fly Blue Crane and is the executive chairperson of Blue Crane Aviation. She previously served as the Chief Executive Officer of both South African Airways and SA Express Airways.
Under Mzimela's leadership, SAA achieved a first in the history of the airline: introducing direct services to New York and Beijing. Her other notable achievements include serving as President of the African Airlines Association (2012), receiving the Individual Achievement Award for Outstanding Leadership and Service to the Aviation Industry from the African Airlines Association (2008), being a finalist in the Nedbank Business Women of the Year Award (2002) and being recognised in the international publication ‘The 100 Greatest Women in Aviation'.
She is a member of ARC, NC and REMCO, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Statistics, a Management Certificate from Henley College and completed the GIBS Executive Management program.
After graduating from university in 1986, Mr Tennick joined Swiss Re in Johannesburg as a graduate trainee. During a 14-year career he worked in various capacities culminating in management of the underwriting and subsequently the client management functions.
He then joined the Imperial Holdings Group in Johannesburg and set up Imperial Reinsurance before moving to the Group's insurance business, Regent Insurance, as an executive director with various responsibilities including underwriting, reinsurance and risk management. He was joint CEO of the Regent Insurance Group at the time he left the Group.
Job Titles:
- Regional Director, Abidjan Office
After spending seven years as head of production in Life and Non-Life Insurance companies in Côte d'Ivoire, Mr. Olivier N'guessan became Director of SCOR Office for French-speaking West and Central Africa. He served as Managing Director of Compagnie Nationale d'Assurance for three years before joining Africa Re in 2005 as a Senior Underwriter. He was Deputy Regional Director from January 2008 to March 2011 when he was promoted to the position of Regional Director of the Abidjan Office.
Job Titles:
- Company
- General Manager, Life
Job Titles:
- Director of Internal Audit
Mrs. Akinwale is a highly experienced professional with over 30 years of diversified experience in audit, accounting, finance and administration. Her professional experience started with Deloitte, where she worked for 12 years providing assurance and advisory services to both private and public sector organisations.
She joined Africa Re in August 2003 as Senior Accountant. Within her first year, she developed the first accounting manual for the Corporation. She was promoted to the position of Assistant Director, Financial Reporting in January 2006. In that capacity, she led the Corporation's first-time adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and played a key role in developing the Group's accounting policies and guidelines on financial reporting. She has served in this position at the Head Office and two of the regional offices in Nairobi, Kenya and Cairo Egypt. During her experience at the regional offices, Mrs. Akinwale also had overall responsibility for the financial reporting, budgetary control and administrative functions.
Mrs. Akinwale was appointed the Director of Internal Audit in September 2022.
Mrs. Akinwale holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons.) degree in Sociology and Anthropology from Obafemi Awolowo University and a Postgraduate degree in International Business Management from the University of London. She is a Chartered Accountant, a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and a member of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants.
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Underwriter
- Gas Insurance Specialist
- Regional Director, Lagos Office
Temitope Akinowa (Mrs.) is an experienced Oil and Gas Insurance Specialist. She is a graduate of Insurance from The Polytechnic, Ibadan and holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University. She is an Associate of The Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria.
She started her career in Insurance with a brief stint in Lasaco Assurance Company, and then moved on to Cornerstone Insurance where she worked for 8 years and rose to become the Head of the Oil and Gas Unit of the Organisation.
Temitope Akinowa joined Africa Re as an Assistant Underwriter in 2008 and rose through the ranks to become an Assistant Director, Underwriting and Marketing. She was appointed as the Regional Director for the West Africa Regional Office in April, 2021.
She has attended many foreign and local seminars and presented Insurance papers locally and internationally.
Job Titles:
- Risk & Compliance Manager
Job Titles:
- General Manager, Non - Life
Job Titles:
- Managing Director of Africa Retakaful, and Africa Re Local Representative in Sudan
Job Titles:
- Director of Risk Management and Compliance
- Fellow of Both the Casualty Actuarial Society
Ms Yvonne Naa Korkor PALM joined Africa Re as Director of Risk Management, Compliance and Actuarial Services on 27 November 2019.
Prior to joining Africa Re, she served as the Lead Corporate Actuary at Travelers Syndicate Management in London, overseeing reserving, technical provisions, business planning and reporting of results to regulators and management.
She started her career at Ernst & Young in the USA, serving as the lead actuarial analyst for multinational clients including (re)insurers, captives and entities that self-insure their exposure. She went on to hold senior actuarial positions at Markel International and ACE European Group in London (UK). Her experience spans the United States, Europe and Latin America, as well as exposure to African, Middle Eastern and Australasian business through the Lloyd's platform.
Yvonne is a Fellow of both the Casualty Actuarial Society (USA) and the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (UK). She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Grinnell College in the USA, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa with Honours in both Mathematics and Economics