Sumarie Greybe and Ernest North, who founded Naked Insurance in 2016 with partner Alex Thomson, present a candid, behind-the-scenes look at the journey of building a startup with ambitions to change the way an entire industry does business.
They’ll discuss their inspirations for building a new generation, artificial intelligence-driven insurance platform, touching on:
How they saw from the inside, as consulting actuaries to many of SA’s leading insurers, why insurance had become such a grudge purchase
Why changing the insurance industry could only be achieved through a startup unencumbered by legacy processes, systems and traditional profit agendas
The challenges of building a team and a technology platform from scratch
How they secured funding and found partners to take the business to the next level
Marketing: taking on an industry that spends more on advertising than almost any other, and reaching the right audience in a more efficient way
The name “Naked”: the surprising answer to what it really means
Thoughts about whether the startup route is really viable in South Africa for people without established business networks or access to funding
The personal side of building a startup: how critical it is to have the right combination of founders with unwavering trust in each other.
Having spent years inside the belly of the corporate beast, the Naked co-founders can offer interesting insights for other would-be entrepreneurs who dream of doing something new. Their candid account of their journey will be interesting for other entrepreneurs already on a startup journey and to those who are thinking of striking out on their own.
Ernest is a fully qualified short-term insurance actuary with more than 15 years’ experience working for leading insurance companies in South Africa. His previous roles include head of pricing at Hannover Reinsurance, actuarial and management consultant to insurance brands across Southern and East Africa, and underwriting & actuarial director at a leading South African car insurer.
Sumarie has built a career as one of the leading short-term insurance actuaries in South Africa. She headed short-term insurance consulting at her own firm, Quindiem Consulting, for over 15 years. In 2011, Quindiem was acquired by EY and Sumarie became a Partner at EY and Head of EY Africa’s Africa Actuarial Services Short Term Insurance Practice. Over the years, Sumarie served as actuarial advisor to many of South Africa’s large insurers.
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Scotty Wang is a well seasoned Human-Forward African Millennial Creative Problem Solver who believes in restoring dreams where hope is lost through writing, teaching and facilitating conversations. Best known as the Author of Finding Makoti, Founder of Future Billionairing, Co Founder of The Street Food Market and Co Founder of #ThinkAfrica.
All his life's work is dedicated and inspired by African Millennialism - A teaching, belief and study in A hoped-for period of joy, serenity, prosperity, and justice in Africa.
He has a stern belief that this place of utopia can only be reached through a variety of blended methods of engagement.
Also known for his vested interest in human behaviour, Scotty also engages in authentic conversations and often shares insights about Relationships, Manhood, Social Ills, Spirituality and Career Development.
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