Women's Month feature: Pioneers of Resilience and Innovation

Fiona Oakley Smith

Tshepiso Chocho

Hayley Clarke

Nkateko Mayimele

As Women’s Month approaches,we shine a spotlight on the remarkable women at SASRIA, whose contributions transcend boundaries and inspire change within the insurance industry.

SASRIA, South Africa’s leading short-term insurer against civil commotion risks, stands as a pillar of resilience in times of adversity. What sets SASRIA apart is not only its critical role in safeguarding businesses and communities but also the extraordinary women who drive its mission forward.

From leadership roles in risk management and actuarial science to pivotal positions in finance and strategic planning, SASRIA women exemplify excellence in their fields. They navigate complexities with unwavering determination, leveraging their expertise to protect and empower. Their stories are as diverse as they are inspiring, showcasing a spectrum of talents that redefine what it means to lead in a traditionally male-dominated industry.

Fiona Oakley Smith, Executive Manager for Business Change and Technology (ICT, Insurance and Business & Finance)

Bachelor of Commerce in Business Finance and Information Systems (2002), University of the Witwatersrand. Certificate in Advanced Business Analysis (Honours level course) (2005), University of Pretoria. Fiona is the Chief Information Officer at Sasria responsible for the Applications and Infrastructure Management, Enterprise Architecture, PMO and Information and Records Management. Fiona joins Sasria from AIG where she was the Head of IT for Sub-Saharan Africa. In her 14-year tenure at AIG, Fiona was always instrumental in strategic projects across her roles as Senior Business Analyst, Support and Development Manager, Program Manager to IT Manager.

With over 20 years of professional experience across consulting and insurance, Fiona has a strong background in business analysis and finance. She possesses impeccable project management and critical analysis skills with vast experience in implementations of insurance systems and data solutions co-ordinating with global teams.
Fiona’s ability to inspire her team and extract the best out of them makes her an invaluable asset as a strategy driver and implementer.

Tshepiso Chocho, Executive Manager for People Management (HR, Insurance and Business & Finance)

Bachelors of Arts in Industrial Psychology and Psychology, University of Johannesburg (2001). Honours in Industrial Psychology, University of South Africa (2016). Management Development Programme, Gordon Institute of Business Science (2018).

Tshepiso Chocho joined Sasria SOC Ltd in May 2015 as a Human Capital Generalist and in 2017 she acted in the position of Executive Manager: Human Capital, CSI and Facilities. She was appointed into the role of in February 2019. Tshepiso was also certified as a Ethics Officer through The Ethics Institute in 2019. She is also a council member in the Insurance Institute of Gauteng. Her combination of academic achievements and 19 years working experience in the finance sector, 13 of which were spent in the Human Resource field in well- established financial institutions, makes her a valuable contributor and leader of her division. She believes that people must be treated with respect and in continuous personal growth. She is currently completing a Senior Executive Leadership Programme at Harvard Business School.

Hayley Clarke, Chief Actuarial Officer (Insurance and Business & Finance)

BSc Honours in Actuarial Science (2007), University of the Witwatersrand,Fellow of the Actuarial Society of South Africa (FASSA 2010), Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (FFA 2010)
Chartered Enterprise Risk Actuary (CERA 2014) and Currently completing an MSc in Climate Change and Development, SOAS University of London (2024)

Hayley Clarke is the Chief Actuarial Officer of Sasria SOC Ltd where she is responsible for the actuarial, quality assurance and business intelligence divisions. Hayley has joined Sasria following 12 years at Aon Re where she was an actuary on the Executive Committee. At Aon, Hayley was involved in structuring reinsurance programmes and advising on risk and capital for insurers and reinsurers throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Further, she chaired the Aon Re CSI Committee and Aon Environmental Committee.

Hayley is passionate about the topic of climate change and the impact this will have on societies, particularly in Africa. She has been involved in parametric insurance projects for several African countries with the emphasis on developing solutions to reduce the protection gap and enhance community resilience. Her MSc dissertation covered the topic of remote sensing weather index insurance for agriculture in South Africa.

Nkateko Mayimele, Executive Manager for Claims (Insurance and Business & Finance

Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting), Bachelor of Accounting Science (Hons), Chartered Accountant (SA) and Advanced Management Program (AMP) through INSEAD an international business school.

Nkateko Mayimele Joined Sasria SOC Ltd in 2015 as Head of Internal Audit, she fulfilled the role of Chief Audit Executive before being promoted to the position of Executive Manager: Claims. Nkateko is a registered Charted Accountant with over 13 years of experience in insurance, finance, internal and external audit, risk management as well as forensic investigations. With experience in managing audits, she has over 8 years in senior leadership positions having completed a variety of courses that focus on management, leadership, and effective quality assurance.

While she recently completed an Advanced Management Program (AMP) through INSEAD, her professional skills and accumulated experience at both PwC and Sasria well equip her to lead her division as she is involved in the development of Sasria’s overall strategy, responsible for the strategic direction of the claims division and ensuring implementation.