‘Women strong’ MUA Refreshing insurance

The insurance industry appears statisticsy male-dominated. A refreshing exception is MUA, whose management is almost entirely female. While this is an unintended consequence of operating in the personal lines space, it has given rise to a company with a u

A wholly owned subsidiary of Hannover Re through the shareholding ownership of Lireas Holdings (Pty) Limited, MUA Insurance Acceptances (MUA) is a leading insurance underwriter of personal lines insurance policies for the executive motor, classic car and high net worth individual home market, underwritten by Compass Insurance Company Limited.

But what makes MUA truly remarkable in the traditionally male-dominated insurance industry is the fact that 99% of its management are women. At the helm is Managing Director, Christelle Fourie, whose impressive experience in the industry includes serving as Head: Personal Lines Underwriting at Santam, and as founding Managing Director at Thatch Risk Acceptances.

Women-strong company

Fourie says that the number of women in MUA’s management team was in no way intentional. “Members of the MUA team are selected on the basis of their ability to fill the requirements of the position and their ‘fit’ within the MUA family. Gender plays no role in our selection or promotion criteria.

"I have come to the conclusion that the number of women in the team is simply a consequence of working in personal lines insurance. We find the best people for the job in our market segment are generally female. Perhaps is it because, as women, we tend to look after the home and family and that, really, is what personal lines insurance is all about?”

What is certain – and perhaps unusual in today’s fierce business world is the level of cooperation and support the team members experience. “It’s just different,” says Fourie. “Our recent management conference is a good example: it was focused and everyone seemed to be on the same page, decisions were made carefully but quickly, and there was an emphasis on relationships and fun. I don’t think of it as a gender thing, this is just how MUA works! MUA is truly alive. Our team definitely provides a good balance of thinking and feeling.”

Unique management approach

Leaders at MUA certainly have a unqiue and refreshing management approach. Fourie explains: “We believe that the success of the company is an expression of the quality and passion of our people. MUA’s values express our focus on encouraging our people to be true to themselves as whole people. MUA believes that the way we treat our people will be reflected in the way our people treat MUA’s clients.”

Supporting environment

Fourie is emphatic that she did not have to overcome gender discrimination in the insurance industry to reach her current position. “On the contrary, I have been given the most amazing opportunities in my career based on my ability, and not my gender!

“At the risk of sounding controversial, I believe many women choose not to occupy the higher positions in the business world, purely because of the difficulties of balancing family and career, particularly where an unforgiving manager is involved. It is very difficult for mothers to catch up after they’ve taken a couple of months of maternity leave. They then have to survive the first year or two of motherhood – all of this is very hard to do when finding time to have your hair done seems impossible, let alone a trip to Johannesburg!”

To ensure that the talent within the company is nurtured and retained, MUA does provide a supporting environment. “At MUA we have a very progressive flexi-time programme in place to ensure that those of us who are mothers get to spend some precious time with their families. I believe that this kind of flexibility translates into a staff retention tool which cannot be measured in monetary terms – how can we even imagine putting a monetary value on spending precious moments with our beautiful children? MUA’s flexibility certainly facilitates employees being more present parents in a way that suits each person.”

Fourie herself is a mother of two young children and has clear priorities for a balanced life. "Work-life balance is important to me and the MUA enviroment supports it.There is a very high work ethic: at work, we work. But home time is also taken seriously. People don’t hang around when the day is done.”

Advice for women still climbing the ladder

“You must have a vision, be real about what is happening and focus on your strengths and the strengths of others,” says Fourie. Her advice to other aspirational women is simple:

• Decide what you want in life and go for it.
• If it is a career and a family you want - and it is possible to have both successfully - choose a company which supports your outlook on life.
• Be organised in both your business and personal life to ensure a good work-life balance.
• Remember Denis Waitley’s wise words: “The winner's edge is not in a gifted birth, a high IQ, or in talent. The winner's edge is all in the attitude, not aptitude”. How you approach everything in life will determine the results. Optimism is contagious.

Mentorship

Fourie also believes in mentorship. “It is great to have someone who really believes in you and is helping you carve your path in the company or industry. A mentor continually helps you to raise your awareness of your uniqueness and your impact on others and their impact on you.

“All women should also remember that, as mothers, our most important mentorship role is that of raising children. Mentorship comes naturally to us!”

On a personal note: Christelle Fourie

Fourie’s life story provides a unique insight into her personal perspective, based to a large extent on the phrase coined by Walt Disney: “If you can dream it, you can do it”.

“From an early age in my life, I absolutely knew I was going to be successful, albeit by my own measures of success, in life and business,” she says. “My opportunities just came very early in life and I grabbed them with every fibre of my being.

“I started working the week after I finished my final matric exams, as there was simply no money for university studies. When I started my job as the founding MD of Thatch Risk Acceptances at the age of 25, I did not even understand what an underwriting agency was! I just simply made it my business to find out how to achieve success at every step of the way.”

Fourie believes that in business, and certainly in our industry, it often boils down to the ability, drive and ambition of the individual. “When the Board asked for a strategic plan, I went to business school to find out how to write and execute one, and I just did it. When they wanted a staff performance management plan, I went to business school, learnt the basics and just did it.

“At the end of the day it is all about commitment, drive and passion. My grandfather always said: ‘Decide what you want in life and go for it’. It is as simple as that.”