My journey with the Insurance Institute of Gauteng (IIG) has been nothing short of phenomenal. Looking from the outside made me think being on the IIG council was a walk in the park, but when you start contributing, you realize the real work that goes into keeping the institution alive, which is very rewarding. Over the past 3-4 years, I have had the chance to work with some really dedicated people on council and good energy exchange is always part of the recipe. Having started participating in activities similar to the IIG at 19, it’s been a fulfilling journey that has provided me with the opportunity to interact with some amazing people at all levels of the industry. I joined the council as an initial recommendation from Daniel Stevens and Neil Beaumont, and it was a good call, glad I listened to it. It aligned to my old and existing interests, and when looking back, it has been one of the major platforms through which it has been possible to #ShowUp and make a difference in the industry. Many people that I’ve interacted with know that one of my goals is for the younger generation to not only see, but believe and experience that we work in a fulfilling, amazing and important industry.
I have watched the IIG evolve, even before I was on council. It’s exciting to see that we continue to provide programmes and events that cater for a wide group, right entrants until the most senior people in the industry and we aim to give it continuous improvement. As a platform for networking, meeting of minds is one of the principles that we stand for, hence we always speak about that we Engage, Connect and Grow as an industry. In line with this our strategic pillars on Education, Networking, Transformation, and Affiliation, we have once again in 2022 been able to deliver on this through various events and initiatives. Our digital footprint has reached thousands of professionals in different industries around the world, and the aim is to only get better. From my observation, we operate from Gauteng, with a global vision to fulfill, and we will continue to execute on this mandate
In my career I have had the honour to be the President of the Actuarial Science and Risk Management Society, am currently a Fellow of the IISA, Associate of the IRMSA and a general member of the CII. On occasion, I get the privilege to participate by giving thoughts in publications, or deliberate and contribute, in some cases as a Guest Lecturer on matters regarding risk management, insurance, and personal branding.
On a more exciting note, as a new father to a 5 month old beautiful baby girl (glad she’s got a lot of her mother in her), I’m learning what it means to be truly present and I’ve had to reorganize and reprioritize life because the growth of children is a constant reminder of how fast time moves, and you don’t want to miss any moment. The businesses I’ve worked for have been key in letting me pursue this passion, and it just only encourages me to bring my best to the working environment all the time throughout the year.
Lastly, my wife has been super supportive all the way and appreciates my love for giving back because I also learn a whole lot in the process .A fun fact is that we actually met for the first time about 8 years ago at an event organized by the local insurance institute, and of course, the rest is history. So participating in these events has also earned me a life partner :}
If I would sum up my take on what the IIG does, I would use a quote by Michele Jennae – “Networking is not about just connecting people. It’s about connecting people with people, people with ideas, and people with opportunities.”
Article written by: Bukhosi Khumalo
