Can you give
us a brief background of how you grew up?
I grew up in a
single-parent household and am the second eldest amongst 5 children. My
childhood was full of laughter, tears (from being spanked – my Mom and Gran
still firmly believe that if you spare the rod you spoil the child) and an
overwhelmingly solid foundation.
My mother is
my rock; through her I have seen that all things are possible. She
single-handedly put all her children through private schools and her biggest
gift to us was ensuring we got the best education. When I was growing up none
of my siblings or I had fancy birthday parties or trips during school holidays.
I used to think I was uncool because I didn’t have what all the other “cool”
kids had, but I had something more precious – the best education and of course,
I was quite the perfectionist and always came in the Top 3 of all my classes from
primary school right through to High school. Sport was also my thing, from
swimming, squash, netball, softball, running… *sigh* those were the good days.
So what is it
that you do now?
I work for an
insurance company and am employed as a Junior Principal.
What did you
study and are you using it at all in your current role?
I studied
Economics as well as Insurance & Risk Management and also completed a
Postgraduate diploma in Management at Business School. I do use the Insurance
knowledge in my current role. However, I quickly realised that all the theory I
learnt in Varsity versus real-life experiences are two different things!
How long have
you been working and what do you miss about campus life?
I have been
working for just over 4 years now.
What I miss
about being a full time student is the ability to see my friends as frequently
as I used to. I attended classes with my friends and it was so fun. I also miss
feeling invincible and I miss the child-like dreams I had of conquering the
world as that is what kept me driven. However, the most significant thing I
miss is the learning aspect of being a student which is why I think I will
always study just so I do not feel like I am losing my edge.
How is your
typical work day?
First thing is
our Team has catch-up where we discuss any “burning issues” that affect our
business or our Partnerships. Once that is done, I set about attending to the
various support services we provide our Partners.
My job is to
implement Reinsurance, BEE, Risk Management, and Compliance & Governance principles
in the Partners businesses and to ensure that they are compliant. As much as we
mandate our Partners to write insurance business on our behalf, we do still get
involved in how they run their businesses (from an advisory perspective) and
through that you get exposure on how a business is run and what it takes to
ensure its growth.
Three tips on
people keen to join your line of work?
I don’t know
anyone who deliberately seeks out a career in the insurance industry. We all
happen to stumble into the profession.
However, to
join my line of work one needs an insurance qualification/ background
(knowledge of the regulatory environment is important).
My line of
work also needs an analytical individual, who can read financial statements and
also assist our Partnerships with formulating and driving their Strategy.
The ability to
manage relationships as well as stakeholder expectations is key (if you are a
people’s person this is will be a plus) and also know how to pay attention to
detail, read between the lines. We work with entrepreneurs whose livelihood is
dependent on ensuring the success of their businesses.
Do you
encounter any challenges that specifically come with being a young black woman
in corporate SA?
What I find
challenging is that in some organisations, women of colour are sought after in
order to “window-dress” and fulfil EE quotas. Secondly, there are few learning
organisations and I feel like the transfer of information/ knowledge is not as
fluid as it should be particularly if you’re black and female. I find that
women in general are viewed as the ‘weaker’ sex, but women of colour even more
so. I have noticed as well that in order to be elevated or considered for an
opportunity one needs to kiss-ass and it is quite disturbing?
Despite these
challenges, it is not impossible to transcend them and stand out. I believe I
am not defined by my circumstances and use them to propel me to the next level.
Even though it is tough to penetrate the testosterone filled boardrooms I know
that it is up to me to grab those opportunities and ensure I make my presence
felt. Women can do anything they put their minds to. It depends on how badly we
want success for ourselves, and for our sisters. It can be done and it has been
done.
“Be yourself, everyone else is taken.” –
Oscar Wilde
*names and
faces have been purposely been omitted
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