A one-day microinsurance seminar has been added to the programme for the forthcoming ICMIF Biennial Conference which takes place in November 2019 in Auckland (New Zealand).
The microinsurance seminar will take place on Monday 11 November 2019, prior to the main Conference which takes place 12-15 November. The location for the seminar and the main Conference is the Cordis Hotel in Auckland. The seminar will be jointly hosted by ICMIF and the ICMIF Asia and Oceania Association (the AOA) and the theme will be: “Connecting to emerging markets: benefits and opportunities for ICMIF members”.
Talent development with social impact
The microinsurance seminar will offer participants the opportunity to learn how a number of ICMIF member organisations in developed markets are benefitting from the unique talent/professional development opportunities offered by ICMIF’s Technical Assignment secondment programme as part of the 5-5-5 Mutual Microinsurance Strategy. These assignments are offered in Kenya, India, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Colombia and can be tailored to suit both experienced staff members and for the emerging talent within your organisation, including, of course, millennials.
ICMIF members tell us that talent development and staff retention are key strategic challenges for their organisations and the seminar will showcase ways in which some member companies’ employees have benefitted from participating in stimulating assignments through the 5-5-5 programme.
ICMIF 5-5-5 international assignments provide a unique learning opportunity for employees who are asked to apply their existing knowledge and skills to the challenge of helping ICMIF members in emerging markets reach large numbers of low-income people and provide them with affordable insurance protection. In the seminar, delegates will hear how, in addition to imparting their own knowledge and specialist skills to help a local project, participants report that the experience of working with a local project has benefitted them greatly in their role at their own organisation.
How will member organisations benefit?
During the seminar delegates will hear from speakers who have participated in 5-5-5 Technical Assignments and learn how the experience benefitted them and their organisation. One speaker is Ellie Anderson, Innovation and Development Consultant at Thrivent Financial (USA), who spent time on a Technical Assignment with CIC Insurance Group (Kenya). Speaking about her experience Ellie says:
“Through the immersive, hands-on experience of supporting the launch of a microinsurance business, I gained rich perspective on many foundational elements of strategy, business and leadership. I got to see the power of mutual insurance to reach new markets, deepening my commitment to the mutual model.
Using a human-centred design approach, I was able to influence stronger product and experience design to better serve the dairy farmer members, and see positive impact and results driven from consciously designing for the customer. I also learned valuable lessons in communication and teamwork from this unique cross-cultural project. More than any other professional development experience I have had so far in life, supporting the 5-5-5 Strategy in Kenya has and will continue to shape me as an employee, teammate, leader and global citizen.”
The seminar will also look at ways in which supporting mutual microinsurance projects in emerging markets can help ICMIF members to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Inspirational stories
Speakers and seminar participants will share inspirational stories of how ICMIF members in emerging markets are making a difference to the livelihoods of the poor and how, with the help of ICMIF members from developed markets, their work is having a great social impact and helping lift people out of poverty.
The final session of the day will explore ways to build mutually beneficial connections for member organisations between the developed and emerging markets. This will include presentations on innovative products and processes being developed by ICMIF members in emerging markets that can be applied to organisations in the more developed markets.
Photo shows: Bas Lavalaye, Finance and Control Manager at ICMIF member Achmea.
Bas Lavalaye of Achmea took part in a Technical Assistance assignment for the Development of Humane Action (DHAN) Foundation (India) through the ICMIF 5-5-5 Mutual Microinsurance Strategy earlier this year. In this video, Bas speaks about his time in India and how he found it to be a particularly enriching experience. Bas visited DHAN Foundation’s offices in Madurai (India) for two weeks in April 2018 to conduct an assignment to assess the first year of the 5-5-5 Strategy project with the DHAN Foundation and then use the findings to update the business plan for the remaining four years of the project.
