New CEO to head up INSETA
The Chairman of the Board of the Insurance Sector Education and Training Authority (INSETA) recently announced the appointment of Gugu Mkhize as the new Chief Executive Officer of INSETA.
Wealth of experience and knowledge
Mkhize is a seasoned business leader with expertise amassed through working in various fields namely, construction, property management and home building regulation, project financing, skills development and education, project management and corporate consulting.
She has held several executive and leadership roles consecutively for 12 years. This diverse experience afforded her the opportunity to deal with multiple stakeholders across different levels of the organisations.
Some of the key leadership roles Mkhize previously held include Executive: Corporate Services (National Home Builders Regulatory Council), Chief Executive Officer (Excelle International Pty Ltd), Executive Manager: Corporate Services (Mining Qualifications Authority), Senior Manager: Corporate Services (Johannesburg Social Housing Company) and Senior Corporate Manager (KZN Growth Fund Managers).
Some of the skills she possesses include strategic leadership, corporate governance, human capital, strategies and policies development, stakeholder relations, facilities and property management, strategic business planning and organisational performance.
She also holds various qualifications in different streams, that will enable her to make a positive contribution efficiently and diligently in the insurance industry.
Goals and vision for the future
Having assumed the role on 1 December 2020, FAnews spokes to Mkhize about her new position and what the future holds.
When asked what her goals and vision for the future are Mkhize said, “First and foremost, the world as we know it has completely been altered. Every sector must rethink the kind of skills that will be required currently, and in future.”
“With stakeholder needs changing and the conventional way of working, the future of Inseta lies in achieving a deeper understanding of our stakeholders, operational excellence, digitisation of skills development and adapting to the industry’s shifting talent needs,” she said.
“Inseta must increasingly consider what future platforms we build, and develop transformation plans that extend across functions. Our success depends on being more responsive in skills development through building effective partnerships,” added Mkhize.
Driving Inseta forward
“INSETA will need to initiate robust stakeholder engagement to align the needs of the sector with the skills agenda in the insurance sector. We must make the sector attractive to the youth, and the current workforce, and build an adequate talent pool for the future.”
“Transformation will continue to remain high on my agenda. I believe leveraging the strength of diversity will ensure business success,” she continued.
“My appointment reflects the Board’s commitment to transformation at the highest levels of leadership, and I am committed to ensuring that the organisation transforms inside out, to position INSETA as a skills development pioneer” added Mkhize.
Covid-19, Inseta and processes
“The pandemic pushed business operations, and the ability to continuously develop our human capital into the 4IR. It has forced us to revisit our crisis and continuity plans and change the way we do business in the future. But nothing tests theory quite like reality,” she said.
“One of the challenges encountered was the decline in funding for skills development, due to the four-month skills development payment holiday introduced in 2020. This will effectivelysee a significant decrease in funds available for learnerships and similar programmes that we as SETAs implement,” continued Mkhize.
“Our lives are altered by the way we work and live, and we must adapt to the new normal. Change management must become part of strategic planning, even post COVID-19. The evolution of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has been fast tracked by the pandemic,” she said.
At the heart of Inseta’s business
For Inseta, Mkhize said, she will build upon four key attributes that are essential elements to generate value, namely operational excellence, leadership, efficiency, and stakeholder relationships, “to place our stakeholders at the heart of our business and help them face the global megatrends over the coming decades.”
“The organisational strategy requires a conducive environment for implementation. Therefore, people, systems, processes, and policies must be enablers for implementation. A competent and skilled workforce is critical for facilitating the development of skills in the sector. A state of the organisation assessment must be undertaken to determine the posture and capabilities of Inseta,” she added.
“Whilst looking inwardly, an outward look of the sector will be important for me to start engaging with key role players. We exist in societies with high levels of inequality and abject poverty; therefore, it is incumbent upon us to partner with the public sector and come up with innovative solutions to assist government to deal with some of the socio-economic problems plaguing our society. We remain committed to skills development and facilitating job creation opportunities,” she concluded.
Writer’s Thoughts:
With unwavering support, FAnews wishes Ms Mkhize every success in her new role and during her tenure. If you have any questions please comment below, interact with us on Twitter at @fanews_online or email me - [email protected]
