Marsh Africa CEO joins local business leaders on the streets for the 702 Sun International CEO SleepOut

Jurie Erwee, CEO of leading insurance broking and risk management company Marsh Africa, will rise to the challenge and join other local business leaders in sleeping under the stars on Thursday, 18 June, expected to be one of the longest and coldest nights of the year, as part of the first 702 Sun International “CEO SleepOut”. The event aims to raise R250-million for child care organisation Girls and Boys Town, which strives to take children off the streets.

The CEO SleepOut is one of the world’s premier philanthropic events, which has seen business leaders in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and across the USA and UK take to the streets to generate funds for the homeless. 

Erwee will tough it out on the pavement in Sandton along with other captains of industry to experience first-hand the hardships of homelessness. 

“Homelessness is a complex and worrying issue throughout the world and it occurs in alarming proportions in our own country,” he comments. “Increasingly difficult economic times have left an escalating number of men, women and children across South Africa without homes or possessions.  Existing state welfare services and independent NGO’s are struggling to offer these people relief and I welcome the opportunity to take part and through this fund raising initiative to make a small contribution to improve the lives of the less privileged. 

Education is another important factor in the upliftment of children. This forms the foundation of Marsh’s Boost a School programme which is aimed at improving school performance and the quality of education in disadvantaged communities in South Africa through investment in developmental interventions.  This aims to provide holistic developmental support at school level for learners and teachers to improve performance, which supports the work done at Girls & Boys Town, of caring for and empowering challenged youth. 

Marsh is committed to making a difference in the communities in which it operates and therefore having its CEO use his position to highlight issues affecting the less privileged and homeless is a great opportunity for the organisation to make a difference in the social development of children.

Erwee was appointed CEO of Marsh Africa following Marsh’s acquisition of Alexander Forbes Risk Services in January 2012.  Marsh Africa has representation in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Uganda and Nigeria. In South Africa, Marsh has a network of 14 branches, including its Sandton headquarters, and works on risk solutions and insurance related matters across commerce and industry.