November 24, 2015

Young talent continues to fuel the insurance industry

Kurt

CN&CO’s Kurt Solomon acted as MC at the Fulcrum Under-35s in Insurance event on 18 November 2015 at Higher Ground @ St Stithians in Johannesburg

Mentorship, passion and purpose – these are some of the main ingredients required to shape and grow industries. And the insurance industry is no different.

“Without young talent coming up in the ranks, the insurance industry would crash and burn,” says Fulcrum CEO Vaughan Jones.

Vaughan was one of the speakers at the recent “Under-35s in Insurance” event sponsored by Fulcrum and organised by CN&CO’s Rikus Kok, Kurt Solomon and Gabbi Rego. (And when they say under 35, they mean under 35! Bouncers checked IDs as guests arrived to make sure no one got in who wasn’t in the approved age category.)

“Young guns with ambition and energy bring new ideas and fresh perspectives to the table, which ultimately help to build and shape an industry – and here I’m talking any industry, not just insurance,” said Vaughan. “But we can only unlock the real value of young people’s passion and purpose through committed mentorship over a sustained period of time.”

Vuaghan’s sentiments were echoed by the other speakers on the evening – industry stalwart Paolo Cavalieri and Fulcrum’s head of premium finance Devan Kerr.

Fulcrum is such a strong believer in the power and value of good mentorship that it has launched a regular feature in RISKAFRICA magazine called Young Talent. The feature runs every quarter, showcasing youngsters who are driving and inspiring the insurance industry of tomorrow (and, in fact, bringing their energy today as well!).

CN&CO worked closely with Fulcrum to put these editorial features together, making sure that all the most inspirational stories are shared with the entire insurance industry.

Back to the Under-35s do… and after the speeches, when the real value of the event kicked in. More than 250 people, all under the age of 35, got down and partied! The popcorn bar, courtesy King Price Insurance, sweetie table and whiskey tasting proved especially popular as guests mingled and bonded.

“It’s not just about the party, though,” says CN&CO’s Rikus Kok. “These events create fantastic opportunities for people to get to know each other better. The insurance industry is not all that big and these guys are likely to be around for a long time. Even if they’re not working together now, chances that they’ll end up working together at some stage in the future. You can’t go wrong bringing everyone together in a relaxed social environment to strengthen the bonds of the future.”

We spotted many a familiar face in the crowd, including Roxanne Moodley, winner of the first FANews Insurance Apprentice. But more importantly, we saw a lot of faces we’d never seen before – people we were able to meet and chat to over a glass of wine and a packet of popcorn.

“That’s what it’s all about,” says Rikus. “Making contacts, having a jol, and coming back next year… as long as you meet the age restriction!”

In case you missed it, Fulcrum uploaded an awesome photo gallery of the event on Facebook. In addition, our very own Kurt Solomon, who did a superb job of MC-ing on the evening, shared his thoughts on the Under-35s in Insurance event on RISKAFRICA TV.

Be sure to keep an eye out for more young talent events to come. And if you’re keen to get involved and contribute toward young talent in the industry, contact Kurt Solomon.