GWII and IIG celebrate LOVE and LAUGHTER during lockdown

With the theme ‘Love and Laughter during lockdown', Gauteng Women in Insurance (GWII), in collaboration with the Insurance Institute of Gauteng (IIG), hosted a Women's Day webinar… because we have to have some LOVE & LAUGHTER during LOCKDOWN!

The order of the day

With Emerald Risk Transfer as the main sponsor, and Camargue Underwriting Managers, Discovery, Genasys Technologies, Marsh, Santam and Sasria SOC Ltd as co-sponsors, the event boasted the perfect ambience for a Women's Day celebration… right in the very comfort of our own homes!

GWII President, Catherine Pienaar, opened the session with a welcome and reminder of what we were celebrating, thanking all sponsors with an introduction of Trevor Gumbi, a South African comedian, writer and actor best known as co-host (and voice over artist) of the Mzansi Magic entertainment magazine show Headline.

Gumbi had the audience in giggles as he covered the antics of lockdown madness with kids in just the right proportions.

Tshepiso Chocho, Deputy President for the IIG, then opened up the panel discussion with career driven women Henriete Senekal, Chief Executive of PSG Short Term Adminiostration, Tashniva Angadh, Business Development Managar at Hollard Insure and Thokozile Mahlangu, CEO of the Insurance Institute of South Africa (IISA).

Gender based violence

Gender based violence is a real issue we are facing in our country. “Let's make noise about it, so things can change,” said Chocho.

“The situation in South Africa is devastating, nightmarish and heart breaking. It is a serious crisis. There has to be a targeted approach on government effort to eradicate this level of violence with women. There are a lot of factors at play. There has to be a coming together with experts, the community and active concerted effort from government to eradicate this crisis. It falls on all citizens. The solution is not one sided,” said Angadh.

“It is important that we help educate people. The vulnerable are the hardest hit. It's never been a better time than now for women to seize the moment and help society by sharing their stories,” said Senekal.

We need to get to the root cause and empower women to speak out and express what is happening. Women take a dormant approach but we have to speak out, seek out people who can help us, that we can confide in and walk the journey with,” said Mahlangu.

“We are in a period of change and we can only hope for change,” said Choco.

Career driven women

When asked what her three success habits are Mahlangu said, “Never stop learning, continuously empower yourself. Apply the knowledge you have learned. Try it out, allow yourself to fail, get up and try again. Success is a journey. You don't wake up to success. Stretch yourself, allow yourself to fail and continue.

Senekal said the barriers to success is that women tend to be agreeable. “We need to learn to speak up for what we stand for. Work hard, learn, keep up with news and trends… it will widen your knowledge, you will be more confident and you will speak with authority. Choose wisely when making career choices and which company you will work for. Choose a job for long term success.”

Angadh said women are already wired to deal with change and challenges. We have the ability to multitask. We just have to take charge, insert ourselves in decision making roles and take opportunities.

A virtual experience

Chocho then called on eight volunteers to participate in an online interaction with one of the TOP mentalists in the world. Larry Soffer, with his unique capabilities to read minds, predict thoughts and show other mentalism effects, engaged the women in a virtual experience. The ladies each received a R250 Takealot Voucher for their efforts and participation.

Lucky draws

Attendees had to social media #IIG_GWII_LLL to stand a chance to be entered into the lucky draw prizes. Salome Van Der Mooren, Office Manager of the IIG, then thanked all the generous prize sponsors, who made many hearts happy. Van Der Mooren and Wilmine De Ridder, GWII Committee members then had the joyful task of announcing the winners of the lucky draw prizes. The sponsors were:

1. Bair Recruitment Group sponsored one portrait photo session to the value of R 5 000 (including make-up artist)

2. CIA Building Insurance Specialists sponsored two Crossbody bags valued at R950 each

3. Clyde & Co sponsored a Nougart hamper

4. Cyan Re, The Digital Forensic Lab sponsored a R500 Placecol voucher

5. Emerald Risk Transfer gave away two Takealot vouchers valued at R1000 each

6. Everinghams Inc. gave away a bluetooth speaker/headphones

7. Lloyds Warwick sponsored one L'Oréal hamper

8. Thatch Risk Acceptances sponsored a R350 Sorbet voucher

And for the grand prize giveaway… drum roll PLEASE!!! GWII and IIG gave away an all-inclusive 2 night's accommodation package at the 5* Tshukudu Bush Lodge worth R30 000. This includes welcome drinks on arrival, all meals and two daily safari activities.

Charity initiative

In the closing speech Carla Jordan, immediate Past President IIG & a Founding Member of GWII thanked sponsors, panel members and all the ladies for taking part in the webinar. She mentioned that the IIG and GWII will be donating all surplus from this event to the IIG Academic Programme, which this year is in partnership with GIFS and MTN, and supported by SASRIA, Hannover Re, Guidewire and Bryte.

This year is the start of a class which will end with 300 students going through the programme which provides an insurance qualification, RE, business professionalism courses and interview skills to empower youth from specifically under-privileged backgrounds, and to grow the insurance talent base.

Thank you

GWII would like to thank the main sponsor Emerald Risk Transfer, and co-sponsors Camargue Underwriting Managers, Discovery, Genasys Technologies, Marsh, Santam and Sasria SOC Ltd, for their sponsorship and support for this event. Without them this would not have been possible.

And lastly, to all GWII members… remember Love and Laughter is the best medicine during this time of uncertainty. Continue to find inspiration in each of your success stories.

GWII: Lessons learnt from COVID-19

Boasting a jam packed session with just over 500 GWII members, guest speaker Thabile Nyaba, Chief Risk Officer at Old Mutual Insure touched upon the lessons learnt from Covid-19. Key take-away points were that collaboration and precision in decision making are things that are embedded in us – we need to plug them into the day-to-day operations of our businesses; risk management and compliance are critical aspects of organisations in guiding decision making and enabling business; there are relationships between government and industries that have been created and should be leveraged on going forward, to solve many of South Africa's fundamental problems; innovation and digitalisation has been fast-tracked due to Covid-19 and as an industry, we need to take advantage of that by improving our processes and responding to the changing customer needs, behaviours and expectations; the best way to predict the future is to create it – we have an opportunity to look beyond Covid-19 and create what we want to see as individuals, organisations, industries and the country. Solving an unprecedent crisis requires unprecedented ambition. “The best way to predict the future is to create it”, Abraham Lincoln.

Gauteng Women In Insurance - Leaderwalk 1

Our guest speaker, Brad Shorkend, is a futurist and business agitator helps business leaders build relevant businesses and exceptional work experiences for human beings in a world that has gone digital crazy.

We thank our below table hosts for accepting our challenge to facilitate two roundtable discussions:

Andrew Munro - Managing Director of Praesidio Risk Managers

Catherine Naidoo - Executive for Product, Underwriting and Pricing at Innovation Group

Claudia Figueira - Divisional Director of Professional Indemnity at Camargue Underwriting Managers

Katlego Thaba - Actuarial Manager at Deloitte

Nicky Eveleigh - Regional Manager of Risk Management Practice & Mutual Risk Group at Marsh

Sandra Hutchison - Head of People and Delivery at Genasys Technologies

Taurai Muranda - Co-Founder of Mahogany Private Equity

Wilmine De Ridder - Head of Claims at Constantia

Thank you to our sponsors - Camargue, Marsh and Willis Towers Watson - for making this event possible!

GWII: The view from the shore a journey of profound change

Looking at her journey from a shore, guest speaker, Penny Bird, shared the lessons she has learned, while sharing stories that lifted spirits and inspired hearts.

But before Penny shared her story, she instructed the ladies to take part in an activity. The ladies each had to partner up and share something inspirational with each other.

Inspire and be inspired

Bird, a professional photographer and storyteller with solid marketing communications experience and a passion for finding different angles told the ladies, “You are leaders and you inspire people every day, but I wonder if you realise the reach, power and impact you have in the world. You can be inspired and inspire through many things, from small acts, to the big and impossible.”

In terms of inspiring and being inspired Penny said, “Surround yourself with people who lift you up. We tend to be around people who limit us. There are no limits. Surround yourself with people you aspire to. Find a passion. Something that fills you with enthusiasm. Do more of what sets your life on fire.”

“Form meaningful connections. Shared experiences have lasting impacts. Open your mind to possibility. If you think up an idea, you can do it... one step at a time. Have faith in your spirit. Say yes. The strength of the human spirit is greater than we think. We just have to have faith,” added Penny.

“Realise the impact of your inspirational acts and how you are changing lives. Inspire others to change and it will spread... just like a ripple effect,” continued Penny.

In her closing, Penny invited the ladies to join her next to the stage and find their inner inspiration through the ‘roar', in reference to Katy Perry's song Roar.

I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter

Dancing through the fire

'Cause I am a champion, and you're gonna hear me roar

Louder, louder than a lion

'Cause I am a champion, and you're gonna hear me roar!

A charitable cause

With their touch of pink, members were asked to bring along a R100 donation for our nominated charity for this event, Pink Trees for Pauline (www.pinktrees.co.za). Pink Trees for Pauline's purpose is to create awareness, unite communities and raise money for those afflicted with cancer in a uniquely inspired way... by turning towns pink!

We would like to thank each one of you for your donation.

After the inspirational talk the ladies each received a pink diary, sponsored by the Financial Intermediaries Association (FIA), in support of breast cancer awareness with a GWII fridge magnet.

Lucky draws

A few lucky ladies walked away with prizes donated by sponsors. We would like to thank the sponsors who contributed to the prizes.

•Allianz – Moet champagne

•Bair Insurance – four Sorbet vouchers

•Chubb – sponsored four Sorbet hampers

•CIA – sponsored two Fujifilm Instax bundles which comes with the camera, a camera bag and 10 films each.

•Discovery Insure – sponsored two gift packs filled with goodies including powerbanks and Thermal mugs

•Hollard – Oojah – sponsored two back packs filled with goodies inside

•Hollard – sponsored a Sandton city voucher

•HIC – sponsored a Sorbet voucher

•MUA Insurance – sponsored three diffusers from Whimsical Whippet

•Paton Personnel – sponsored a Sorbet voucher

•Tracker – sponsored a Carol Boyes Salad bowls and a Carol Boyes salad spoon set

Thank you

GWII would like to thank main sponsor Swiss RE, and co-sponsors Aon and Emerald for their sponsorship and support for this event. Without our sponsors this would not be possible.

And lastly, to all GWII members thank you for attending this event. We hope that your spirit is uplifted and that you are inspired.

GWII: A Wine Bottle Painting Event

With glassware, fairy lights and paints supplied, color was the order of the day!

While the ladies sipped on their glasses of wine and cocktails, an artist guided them on how to paint their wine bottles. Bringing out their inner artists, the ladies kicked off what was a fun, bright and colorful evening. With all the creative variations, designs and patterns, personality, style, and creativity were reflected.

At the end of the night the ladies got to take home their own unique masterpieces… painted wine bottles with fairy lights.

A fabulous time of fun, friendship and painting… magical! A big thank you to ONE Financial Services for their hospitality and support. The venue was great, the food was great, the drinks were great, and most of all, the ONE ladies were so much fun!

Gauteng Women In Insurance - Fire & Ice Year End Function

A dramatic effect

Hosted at Longmeadow 109 Montecasino Blvd, Fourways, on 14 November, the theme of the event was centred around Fire and Ice.

Combining the elements of hot and cold, the tone was set for the evening with an experience of warm reds and oranges and a busy, energy driven atmosphere. The ice side of things, represented a glittering frosty charm with blues, whites and purples.

To get the party started, on arrival guests were treated to welcome drinks, sponsored by HIC Underwriting Managers. Boasting a photo booth, sponsored by One, for photo sessions, the ladies then snapped away and captured the fun while listening the background sounds of lively music.

Formalities for the evening

As the speeches began, Rianet Whitehead, having served as a Chairperson for the past year, in which she steps down at the end of 2019, briefly looked back to where it all began and what the future may hold.

Rianet then announced Catherine Pienaar as the new President of the GWII for 2020, with Michelle Dee Coetzee as Deputy President, followed by the new incoming committee members: Kyndra Robertson (Retro Rabbit), Milesha Chetty (Leppard Underwriting), Shaazia Khan (Coface South Africa), Terashni Pillay (Discovery Insure) and Wilmine De Ridder (Constantia Insurance).

This was then followed by Coetzee giving the audience a brief overview and reflection on the year 2019.

Lucky draws

Having delighted in a buffet dinner, it was then time for prize giving. A few lucky ladies walked away with prizes donated by sponsors. We would like to thank the sponsors who contributed to the prizes.

1.Allianz – sponsored two bottles of Moet Champagne

2.Auto & General – sponsored one diffuser and one set of Andy Cartwright wine glasses

3.Camargue – sponsored a pamper pack

4.Chubb – sponsored one Paklite Stealth 60cm expandable trolley spinner suitcase

5.Digicall – sponsored two survivor packs

6.Discovery Insure – sponsored one lucky lady an advanced driving course

7.GuardRisk – sponsored an Evelyn and Crabtree gift

8.Hollard Oojah – sponsored four bottles of wine (two red, two white)

9.HIC Underwriting Managers – sponsored a Takealot voucher to the value of R500

10.King Price – sponsored a hamper filled with gin, branded goodies, siders and snacks

11.MUA Insurance – sponsored three diffusers

12.O'Keeffe & Swartz – sponsored two bottles of Moet Champagne and two boxes of Lindt chocolates

13.PG Glass – sponsored a Takealot voucher to the value of R1000

14.Santam – sponsored one Edgars voucher to the value of R1000 and one Carrol Boyes voucher to the value of R1000

15.Standard Bank – sponsored one Carrol Boyes pickle set with a fork and one Carrol Boyes square bowl with spoon

16. Tracker – sponsored one pink gin pack and one triple berry gin pack

GWII also sponsored sixteen Woolworths vouchers and gave these away to the ladies who dressed up according to the theme.

There is fire, and there is ice

Once the formalities for the evening came to an end, the guests enjoyed watching fire dancers as they played out a dramatic scene with the element that has lasted the test of time… fire.

Following a bonfire ceremony, in which the ladies ‘burned the past' with written words on paper, members were brought to their feet to dance the night away.

Indeed, it was a night to remember... a night to also remember that there is fire, and there is ice.

A charitable cause

As customary, members were asked to bring along a R100 cash donation for the nominated charity, Kwasa College. Kwasa College improves the lives of the vulnerable children living in the informal settlements.

We would like to thank each one of you for your donation.

Thank you

GWII would like to thank main sponsors Marsh, AIG, Guy Carpenter and Innovation Group, and co-sponsors Associated Loss Adjusters, Camargue, HIC Underwriting Managers, Genasys, Sintelum, One, Constantia Insurance, Chubb and Old Mutual Insure for their sponsorship and support for this event. Without them this would not have been possible.

And lastly, to all GWII members thank you for attending this event. Until our next event, we wish you have a wonderful and safe festive season, and a blessed 2020.

Golf Day 2019

Getting together with the ladies for a round of golf is a great way to mix exercise and friendly competition. Anyone in your foursome could potentially win the match. But there also are side games of skill, and luck, you can play during the round. Whether you choose to play for prizes or just for fun, these games add an interesting twist to your day on the links.

Starting play

On arrival players were supplied with golf shirts, sponsored by Clyde & Co, happy socks, sponsored by Auto & General, white caps, sponsored by Everinghams and pack of golf balls, sponsored by GuardRisk. They were then sure to stop by the Genasys table before tee off for a water bottle and some snacks, as well as after the game for a little surprise. Players then enjoyed a selection of light refreshments and Parisian fruit kebabs with lime and mint, before heading out onto the greens to begin their tee offs moments later.

The GWII golf day was played over 18 holes. The teams included a male industry colleague and 18 holes played gave plenty of time for networking and friendly rivalry amongst the industry colleagues.

Topping up on energy levels, on-cart catering did the rounds with water, Powerade, energy bars and crisps. At the Halfway House a ‘build a wrap station' was set up, allowing hungry players to indulge in chicken and beef wraps with a selection of fillings, pickles and dressing.

As always, GWII supports a nominated charity, and for this event members were asked to dress in a golf shirt which they were willing to donate to charity.

Relaxed ending

What a fun day! As players came off the field, they were asked to putt (where the putt was 25 meters) and if a person got the putt in the hole, they would win R20 000 in cash from SHA Specialist Underwriters.

After neck & shoulder massages, sponsored by Genasys, players and guests enjoyed gin popsicles and a gin bar while indulging in sushi. The day ended off with a cocktail and prize giving session, followed by scrumptious eats and treats, including hot canapes.

Awarded efforts

Category winners included all the 4-ball groups. Prizes were also given for nearest the pin and the longest drive. The prizes ranged from Takealot vouchers, pamper packs, a gym bag, umbrellas, torches, photo frames, coolers and branded caps, books, Harlem Kitchen vouchers, various goodies and daily planners, not to mention one lucky lady walked away with an advanced driving course voucher, and another, a Wickhams Retreat weekend away. We would like to thank all our prize sponsors:

• Camargue

• Digicall

• Discovery

• Emerald

• FAnews

• GWII

• Hollard

• iTOO

• Michale Barker

• Oaktree

• SHA Risk Specialists

• Steyn City

• Webber Wentzel

Thank you sponsors

GWII would like to thank main sponsors main sponsor Auto & General, and co-sponsors Clyde & Co, Camargue, Discovery, Innovation Group, Leppard, MiWay, and Tracker as this event would not have been possible without them.

GWII would also like to thank all the members who took part in this fun day…it was a lovely day indeed!

Gauteng Women In Insurance - Leaderwalk - 17/10/2019 - 17/10/2019

We were privileged to have table hosts represent different organisations, associations and disciplines within the insurance industry - Catherine Naidoo (Innovation), Catherine Pienaar (Camargue), Graeme Codrington (Tomorrow Today Global), Justin Naylor (Itoo), Lisa Swaine (Webber Wentzel), Morne Stoltz (MiWay), Nicky Eveleigh (Marsh), Nox Dlamini (XonRisk), Roshael Hoosen (Paton Personnel), Sean Styles (Styles &Co) and Simon Colman (SHA).

Thank you to our premier sponsor, Innovation Group, and our co-sponsors, AON, Fulcrum, Marsh, MiWay, OneSure, Willis Towers Watson and Webber Wentzel.

Gauteng Women In Insurance - Mix n Mingle Afternoon of Bowling

What a fun day!

If you're looking for a simple relaxed afternoon, this a good choice… uncomplicated, lawn bowls green, wine, flats and friends!

Suitable for the beginner, right up to the professional, with experienced facilitators on hand a day of bowls allows for not only a fun and competitive game, but also lots of time for social interaction and conversation without any pressure.

On arrival, the ladies were treated to refreshing welcome drinks and a scrumptious light lunch, followed by a quick lesson in bowls.

Feeling empowered with what the coaches had said, it was off to the greens where all the hard work started.

With some mind power in getting the bowling bowls to get as close as possible to the little white ball, there were some squeals of delight, oohs and ahhs!

After breaking a sweat, from the greens the ladies headed to the patio for some yummy desserts. The day ended off with a prize giving session.

Thank you

GWII would like to thank main sponsor, iTOO, as this event would not have been possible without them. GWII would also like to thank all the members who took part in this fun day…it was a lovely day indeed!

GWII - Continuous Professional Development Session

SPEAKERS

Precious Nduli (Head of Technical Marketing and Vitality Drive engagement at Discovery Insure) discussed the changing role of women in society and the implications for insurance – 0.5 CPD hours

Penny Moumakwa (CEO and Founder of Mohau Equity Partners) discussed leadership journey lessons, challenges and pivoting into business.

Sam Beckbessinger (Writer and Fintech Entrepreneur) discussed how to manage your money like a f**** grown up - take control of your money to take control of your life.

IIG & GWII - Celebrate Your Uniqueness Ladies Day

With the theme ‘Celebrating YOU-(U)niqueness', Gauteng Women in Insurance (GWII), in collaboration with the Insurance Institute of Gauteng (IIG), hosted an event for Women's Day, celebrating the fact that all of us are unique in our own way.

The order of the day

With Emerald Risk Transfer, BAIR Recruitment, Constantia Insurance and SHA Risk Specialists as the main sponsors, Innosys, PG Glass, Tracker, Santam and Sasria as co-sponsors, and Guy Carpenter and iTOO as partner sponsors, the event, held at the Milk Bar, located at the Sandton Sports Club, boasted the perfect ambience for a Women's Day celebration.

Focusing on free and flowy fabrics in vivid red, vibrant orange, and eye-catching turquoise, dressing up in Bohemian City Chic, with beautiful flowers and colors was the order of the day! It was fun, it was bright, it was bohemian.

While the ladies indulged in welcome drinks and canapes, sponsored by Emerald Risk Transfer, surprise bath salt gifts, proudly sponsored by Constantia Insurance, waited at their seats, as well as fantastically fresh Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, sponsored by Tracker.

MC and Deputy President of the IIG, Darryl Grater, welcomed guests in attendance and thanked the ladies for joining us, with a reminder of what we were celebrating. "Here we are celebrating you. What you have and everything you juggle. Women are the backbone of society. They are the source of empathy that many men lack. We must acknowledge that we are in a better place than we were 20 or 30 years ago. We need to dream and dare to do. We need to direct the conversation of change. I cannot imagine celebrating the women in our industry in any other way than hosting this day with GWII," said Grater.

Keynote speaker for the day, proudly sponsored by Innosys, Melinda Bam, former Miss South Africa, TV presenter and social influencer shared her thoughts around celebrating uniqueness.

Celebrating uniqueness

Bam said, “working in a corporate environment poses a disconnect in the confidence that we ought to have versus the way we try to be up against male counterparts. Who am I? What do I do? What have I been through? We often think this is the sum of who we are. But it is more about why you are who you are. This is where we get confidence. If we aim for perfection, we disregard the fact that confidence even comes from our flaws. Our expectation versus reality is that we think need to be perfect to everyone in society when that is not the case. Our perception of confidence and beauty is distorted. Everything becomes distorted when we look to the outside instead of within.”

“There are so many things that define us today. Appearance, social media, clothes, affirmation, etc. We think that these are the things that make us confident, but regardless of these things, if you don't feel confident without these things you never will feel confident. Your mentality defines you. You don't become what you want, you become what you believe. What is it that you believe about yourself? Your thoughts about yourself define who you become. Whether you think you can, or you can't, either way you are right. Self-image, positivity, determination, our perception of success and velocity of success is driven by our mentality. I AM - these are two powerful words. For what you put after them shapes your reality,” added Bam.

“There are five rules to follow. The first rule is that you have to know yourself through and through to have confidence of who are. All the intricacies, strengths and weaknesses, your personality etc. Acknowledge your past, visualize your future, know your passions, your goals and what makes you different. Two, cultivate a healthy attitude. Accept yourself and believe in yourself. Cultivate an authentic character, self-love and compassion, meaningful work, focus and rest, creativity and a resilient spirit and courage. Get rid of what people think: perfectionism, self-doubt, comparison and fear. Three, choose your critics. Drown out the noise and things that are unattainable. Resist the part of you that is working hard to engineer staying small. Four, challenge yourself. Move out of your comfort zone. Nothing happens there. Disconnect yourself with being okay, always. You can choose courage, or you can choose comfort, but you cannot choose both. And lastly, live life with intention. Do something you are supposed to do,” said Bam.

After Bam's inspiring talk, the ladies were treated to beautiful looking glasses of gin, sponsored by Itoo. The bohemian BAIR Recruitment Photobooth then posed the perfect opportunity for memories to be made, with unique photos to remember the day.

With access to gorgeous harvest tables, a surprise fun art activity, entries to all the lucky draws and access to all the sponsor activations, the day was nothing less than amazing!

GWII and IIG members took part in a fun paint activity. The brushes and paint on tables represented the opportunities that life provides to us each day. The ladies got the opportunity to paint their own canvas, create art pieces and have some fun.

A charitable cause

All the ticket booking entrance fee funds raised will be donated to Ikholwa Children's Home. Ikholwa was originally born out of a vision by one of the director's, the need for hope to be offered to babies and children affected or infected by HIV was heavy on his heart. This was during the time when the pandemic was at its peak. The focus has since shifted according to the needs of the communities, and the homes now offer love and safety to for all babies and children in need. We would like to thank each one of you. The cash collected will go a long way in serving the needs of the vulnerable.

Lucky draws

There were so many lucky draws that the ladies all felt very hopeful about a good chance to win. Thank you to all our lucky draw prize sponsors, you have made many hearts happy. Lucky draw prize sponsors were Allianz, Bryte Insurance, Camargue Underwriting Managers, Constantia Insurance, Chubb, Digicall, Genasys Technologies, GWII, Hollard Oojah, Hollard, Old Mutual Insure, Paton Personnel, PG Glass, Santam, SHA Specialist Underwriters, Standard Bank Insurance and Western National.

Thank you

GWII would like to thank the main sponsors Emerald Risk Transfer, BAIR Recruitment, Constantia Insurance and SHA Risk Specialists, as well as co-sponsors Innosys, PG Glass, Tracker, Santam and Sasria, and contributing sponsors Guy Carpenter and iTOO, for their sponsorship and support for this event. Without them this would not have been possible.

And lastly, to all GWII members… remember, no one can speak with your voice, smile your smile, or shine your light… for there is something unique in each person. Continue to find inspiration in each of your success stories.

Gauteng Women In Insurance - Mine the generation gap

With this in mind, Gauteng Women in Insurance hosted an event themed ‘Mine the Generation Gap', at The Venue Melrose Arch, with Marsh as the main sponsor, and BAIR Insurance Recruitment as a co-sponsor.

Guest Speaker, Graeme Codrington, a South African author, futurist and strategy consultant, and a founding director of strategic insights firm, TomorrowToday shared key insights into the generational gap, followed by a panel discussion (made up of the different generations) with Alicia Narainsamy (SHA Specialist Underwriters), Annelot Schrijver (Willis Towers Watson), Charmaine Sneyd (Chief Executive Officer) and Nicole Harlley (Marsh Insurance Brokers).

3 generations, 1 workplace

“The gap between the different generations is not as big as it seems to be. If you get to understand generational differences, then you will start to understand them better and the gap is not so big,” said Codrington.

He went on to mention that different generations experience life stages differently. We may have the same worldviews and values, but the experiences are different.

“The era you were born in shaped you. Your culture, school curriculum, politics, history etc. shaped you more than you know. It is different now, than it was years back. And so, we need to recognise there are generational differences and different views of the world,” he said.

Here are some of the generational differences and defining values Codrington shared:

•The Silent Generation is influenced by the World War II and The Great Depression. Their defining values include work hard, paying your dues, dedication, respect, they hate debt and the concept of waste not, want not applies. They grew up during tough times in authoritarian society.

•Baby Boomers, which make up bosses and CEOs in our workforce, are influenced by grand visions, moon landing, rock n roll, etc. Their defining values include idealism, optimism, personal gratification, youthfulness, health, they are workaholics, live on credit, will "re-tyre" not retire.

•Generation X, which make up senior staff in our workforce, are influenced by constant change, turmoil, cold war, breaking the unions, PCs and 24hr TV. Their defining values include choice, personalization, immediate gratification and informality. They believe authority and respect are earned, they are not scared of failure and have a global mindset.

•Generation Y, also known as Millennials, have five major milestones, including completing studies, leaving home, becoming financially independent, getting married and having/or not having children. In the 21st century things are different. There is choice, for example, getting married later in life or continuing your studies. In 1960, 77% of women and 65% of men had reached all five milestones by 30. In 2010, 13% of women and 10% of men had done so by 30. Millennials are influenced by the internet, global villages, 9/11 and climate change. Their defining values include a veneer of confidence, they are techno literate, desperate to belong, globally aware and need to know "why".

“Baby Boomers are running the world, but the world is getting older and older. We have to wait for the younger generation to become leaders. Today's young people are different. They view the workplace and authority differently and are influenced by technology,” said Codrington.

Bridge the communication gap

This generational shift has an impact on the workplace, as every generation has different leadership and behavioral styles. For organizations and managers, they need to leverage the unique strengths of each generation and bridge the communication gap.

During the panel discussion Sneyd (Generation X) stated that, “We have a different way of communicating and conveying messages and it is difficult because we grew up differently.”

“Authority and respect are earned,” said Schrijver (Generation X).

As a Millennial, Narainsamy mentioned that she came into the industry to drive change. “I think that the pace of change and innovation is what will keep young people in the industry.” She then went on to state that as a Millennial, she prefers to be given task instruction and then the independence to be left alone, to complete it. “Give us tasks, explain it once and let us complete the tasks independently.”

Panelists describe Millennials as outspoken, look at things differently, a good generation to bring about change and Baby Boomers kind, open and often times over nurturing. Generations X and Y often view change as a vehicle for new opportunities. Baby Boomers were perceived as more reserved, while generation Y tend to favor more collaborative and in-person means of interacting.

Find value in both and balance it out

“Generational differences are good. It is good to be different, we can all learn from each other and get the best out of our teams when we come together collaboratively. The benefit of diversity, beyond frustration, is that we can see the world differently and come up with better solutions. There is strength and weaknesses in all generations, we just have to find value in both and balance it out,” Codrington pointed out.

“Be aware of generational differences but avoid generational bias. Create opportunities for cross-generational mentoring. Tap into the wisdom and experience of your team. Understand and get the most out of people of different generations. Own your past, know your generations and choose your future,” concluded Codrington.

A charitable cause

As customary, members were asked to bring along a R100 contribution for the nominated charity, the Tomorrow Today Foundation.

Tomorrow Today Foundation's community philanthropy involves local people making a difference through the well-structured and focused giving of time, money and skills.

We would like to thank each one of you for your donation.

Lucky draws

A few lucky ladies walked away with prizes donated by sponsors. We would like to thank the sponsors who contributed to the prizes.

• Allianz - sponsored one bottle of Moet Champagne

•Beyonda - sponsored a Woolworth's voucher to the value of R1 500

•Camargue - sponsored two Beautiful Earth Pamper boxes

•Chubb - sponsored a Sandton City voucher to the value of R1 000

•Glasfit - sponsored two hampers with a blanket, cap, cooler bag and rubix cube

•Hollard – sponsored a sorbet voucher

•Hollard - Oojah – sponsored a lunch bag, pen and mouse pad

•MUA Insurance - sponsored three Stoneglow Diffusers valued at R500 each

•O'Keeffe & Swartz - sponsored one bottle of Moet Champagne valued at R550

•Standard Bank - sponsored a Carrol Boyes glass sugar bowl with a spoon to the value of R400

•Tracker - sponsored a portable smoothie blender

Thank you

GWII would like to thank main sponsor Marsh, and co-sponsor BAIR Insurance Recruitment, for their sponsorship and support for this event. Without them this would not have been possible.

And lastly, to all GWII members thank you for attending this event. We hope that you gained key insights into how we can leverage the unique strengths of each generation and bridge the communication gap and thank you for attending.

Gauteng Women In Insurance - Mix & Mingle for a fun gin Experience

Offering a range of curated gin tasting experiences, Gauteng Women in Insurance hosted its first Mix ‘n Mingle at Webber Wentzel, where the fun tasting experience left guests with one-third knowledge, one-third alcohol and one-third fun... Spot prizes were also up for grabs as guest knowledge was tested with a little question and answer, or rather guessing game!

A great way for connoisseurs and novices alike to deepen their gin knowledge, engage in much discussion, and lots of laughs.

Gauteng Women In Insurance - Leaderwalk 1

It is an interactive breakfast that encourages meaningful engagement and dialogue. We were honoured to have Colleen Larson, CEO of Business Engage, oversee the event's proceedings.

Our internationally acclaimed guest speakers were Roy Gluckman and Obenewa Amponsah. Obenewa is a certified coach and consultant whom recently served as Executive Director of the Harvard University Centre for African Studies and the former CEO of the Steve Biko Foundation. Roy is a qualified attorney and CEO of Cohesion Collective. And like most lawyers, he has mastered the art of having tough conversations - mostly about diversity and inclusion!

We thank our table hosts for accepting our challenge to facilitate two roundtable discussions - Heidi Dias (Constantia), Karen Naidoo (Old Mutual Insure), Lizelle van der Merwe (FIA), Morne Stoltz (MiWay), Obenewa Amponsah, Roy Gluckman (Collective Cohesion), Sedick Isaacs (Bryte), Simone Phage (Oakhurst), Stewart Barret (Navan Consulting) and Gail Walters.

This event would not be possible without the continued support of our sponsors - AON, Camargue, Fulcrum Group, Michael Barker, Oakhurst, Old Mutual Insure, ONE and Willis Towers Watson.

Gauteng Women In Insurance - Continuous Professional Development Session

Topics included brokers advisory liability and cyber risks with risk management solutions.

Gauteng Women In Insurance - Umgibe: growing better futures - Organically

Guest speaker, Nonhlanhla Joye, shared a story that lifted spirits and inspired hearts as members heard how cancer, plastic bags and pesky chickens led this humble entrepreneur to a solution that enables more people to create and secure better futures.

Nonhlanhla is the founder of Umgibe Farming Organics and Training Institute, a multi-award-winning initiative that combines female social entrepreneurship, organic urban farming and environmentalism in a remarkable way.

Umgibe (The real story)

Ma' Joye was diagnosed with cancer in 2014, as a result she could not work to provide food for her family. She decided to grow organic vegetables in her backyard.

Unfortunately, the chickens ate all her vegetables, and as a woman, she had to come up with a solution to provide for her family. She innovated a growing system that enabled her to grow vegetables using diversified plastic bags from going to the landfills as growing bags. “I created a frugal, climate-smart system to grow organic vegetables,” Joye said.

Armed with his solution, Umgibe provided the much-needed protection from the chickens but it did not end there, it saved water and fed the family as well as neighbors who started buying the surplus produce. Before long Ma Joye was teaching other community members to grow nutritious vegetables. The story that began with pain has now paved the way for the hundreds of families.

Ma Joye quoted her parents, "when everything else fails, the soil will never fail you. Don't always expect people to feed you."

“You have to work and sweat. People want the money but do not want to work for it. Life is about choices. I could have sat and had a pity party, but I chose to do something about my situation. I helped myself and others. Life would be boring if there were no challenges and your mind would be dormant. Don't take problems personally. Someone out there has it worse than you. You have the strength to walk over hurdles. Focus on the positive side,” conclude ma Joye.

A charitable cause

As customary, members were asked to bring along a R150 contribution. This will go towards training households to grow vegetables. The aim, with Hollard's help, is to get 30 households trained… an impact we believe will be profound.

We would like to thank each one of you for your donation.

Lucky draws

A few lucky ladies walked away with prizes donated by sponsors. We would like to thank the sponsors who contributed to the prizes.

Centriq – sponsored two huge bottles filled with chocolates

Chubb – sponsored a bottle of wine, decadent chocolates, a note pad, pen, biltong and an external hard drive

ELB Engineering – sponsored a wash, cut and blow dry voucher

Glasfit – offered two lucky draws from Digicall

GWII - sponsored a weekend half day Mangwanani African Spa voucher for two valued at R2 398

Hollard Oojah – donated two hampers

MUA Insurance – sponsored two Matsimela hampers value at R500 each

SATIB – sponsored a one night stay for two at the Fairview Hotel & Spa, with breakfast included

SHA Specialist Underwriters – sponsored a weekend half day Mangwanani African Spa voucher for two valued at R2 398

Standard Bank – donated a pen, notepad, umbrella and bag

Tracker – Donated an awesome bag with pink gin

Thank you

GWII would like to thank main sponsor Hollard Insure, for your sponsorship and support for this event. Without you this would not have been possible.

And lastly, to all GWII members thank you for attending this event. We hope that your spirit is uplifted and that you are inspired.