AGCS Africa develops insurance experts

Chivaan Pillay.

Ehren Joshua.

Ryan Brown.

Ehren Joshua, Chivaan Pillay and Ryan Brown.

Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) Africa is preparing young graduates into corporate and industrial insurance experts through a programme, which saw Chivaan Pillay and Ryan Brown appointed as underwriting assistants. The sector is a highly specialist field which requires specialists in the analysis and evaluation of complex and expert risks.

“Experienced and skilled underwriters are in short supply in South Africa and as a global insurer and employer AGCS is fully committed to developing youth in the country to become leading underwriters,” says AGCS Africa Head of Human Resources Bridgette Benting. “We do this by thoroughly preparing them through work based experience, vocational training, mentoring and coaching.”

The programme combines on-the-job development and opportunities with mentoring and coaching in order to enable the young professionals to enhance their skills and broaden their understanding of the corporate and industrial business. Chivaan works in the Marine & Energy Department while Ryan is with Property where they each offer underwriters support through policy documentation and administration, accounts reconciliations as well as relationship management. Both will get an opportunity to work with other lines of business such as Engineering, Liability and Financial Lines to get an all-round experience of the business.

Chivaan holds a certificate in management administration from Institute of Business Studies (IBS) while Ryan holds a higher certificate in business management and a bachelor of business administration. Both of them aspire to be underwriters in future and the programme will enable them to realise their dreams.

AGCS Africa has been doing business in Africa since 2010 using South Africa as its base. The company has grown to 60 employees including those that joined the company after completing college and university. Ehren Joshua, for example, joined the insurer as an intern in December 2014 after completing a qualification in international trade and short term insurance. He has grown tremendously while contributing to the servicing of clients and brokers and was employed permanently towards the end of 2015 as an Account Technician.