What’s your one top tip for doing a deal?
Listen to the client, find common ground and be honest. It has to be about the client and their needs; if you meet those, you will be able to secure your interests as well. Believe in what you are offering, and present this with enthusiasm.
What was your first job?
I have always been in insurance, in various forms. It has been an amazing career: you don’t learn only about your field but about your clients’ industries as well. I have been lucky to travel to many interesting places and have met many people along the way. I have even been 3.7km underground!
What is the one thing you wish somebody had told you when you were starting out?
When you’re just starting out it’s easy to get ahead of yourself, but it’s best to just live in the moment and judge yourself only against yourself, not against others. Enjoy the journey one day at a time. Actively acquire new skills at every opportunity and make the most of them.
If you could fix only one thing in South Africa, what would it be?
The state of our roads. Imagine if we could have every traffic light working, all potholes filled, trenches fixed quickly following repairs to water leaks and drivers being polite and adhering to the rules of the road — which are there to keep all road users safe.
What’s the most interesting thing about you that people don’t know?
I am a qualified yoga instructor; obtaining the qualification was my Covid lockdown project. I did not do this for a career change but more for my own understanding and development. Yoga keeps me grounded and helps me cope with my busy life.
What’s the worst investment mistake you’ve made?
I am a horse rider — need I say more? While horses could possibly be the worst financial investment, they also bring many rewards in other ways. And it is one of the few sports you can share with your children. My daughter and I still spend weekend mornings together riding, and there is no investment that can compare with that.
What’s the best investment you’ve ever made? And how much of it was due to luck?
I began my retirement savings when I started working and have been lucky enough not to have to dip into them. Retirement seems so far away when you start working, but the journey just gets faster.
What phrase or bit of jargon irks you most?
“It’s not my job …”
What is something you would go back and tell your younger self that would impress them?
I ended up as a CEO! It was not something I planned, but I was given wonderful opportunities throughout my career and took advantage of all of them.
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