DANIEL
OKEHI - Epitome
of Good Insurance Practice
It
is generally accepted that people do well in areas where they have
natural ability. Add
that to excellent and professional training, the result is usually
astonishing. One of
such persons who are doing exceedingly well in their chosen field
is Daniel Onyebuchi Okehi, the executive Vice-Chairman and Chief
Executive of Guardian Trust Insurance Company Limited, one of the
new and upwardly mobile insurance companies in Nigeria.
Okehi
represents everything good about insurance both as a business and
profession. He is a
repository of insurance knowledge, a priceless jewel, a benchmark
of excellence and epitome of hope for the profession.
Way back in 1992, he emerged the first prize winner of the
maiden Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) essay
competition giving notice as it were to the profession of this
emergence. Many years
later he rose to the pinnacle of his career, becoming the founding
managing director/chief executive of the Central Insurance Company
Limited. Given the
Nigerian experience, he did not have the opportunity to implement
some of his bright ideas at CICO.
That opportunity came when some years ago, he, along with
some minds, founded the Guardian Trust Insurance Company which is
already making waves in the industry.
Guardian
Trust Insurance Company Limited (GTI) is a top-flight insurance
company under a pro-active ownership and management.
The
Insurance Company is a wholly Nigerian enterprise licensed to
transact all classes of general insurance business including
special risks. The
company was recently licenced to do Life and Pension.
The primary objective of GTI according to Okehi, is to
provide first class and dynamic insurance services to both private
and public sectors of the Nigerian economy and beyond.
Although, the company is focusing mainly on the banking and
oil industries by providing value added services to them, adequate
attention is also paid to the other sectors which could also take
advantage of the company’s enhanced services.
One
of the strong points of Guardian Trust Insurance is that it
commenced operations on a sound financial footing, hence it was
able to withstand the teething financial problems that many
companies often experience. As
part of the new management vision of GTI, the company has
assembled a crop of Seasoned professionals to handle its various
operations in addition to putting in place re-insurance treaties
with very reputable overseas and domestic reinsurance companies
led by SWISS Reinsurance Company It has all facilities in place to
provide efficient services driven by state-of-the-art information
technology to ensure efficient and reliable system of prompt claim
settlement as well as meet their underwriting obligations.
The
mission of GTI is to remain a distinctive and result-oriented
leader with an international outlook providing viable and dynamic
insurance services driven by innovation and excellence aimed at
meeting the aspirations of all the stakeholders of the company.
Guardian
Trust Insurance Company Limited is a dynamic and reputable
insurance company with ability to operate in the international
market. It represents
in today’s Nigerian market, the shape of a modern insurance
company and Okehi is prepared to continue to give his best.
According
to the Chief Executive, GTI is being positioned as a highly
innovative and dynamic insurance company.
The company has been restructured to be result oriented and
to readily adapt to changes. This
explains why it has from inception imbibed the concept of
strategic management which involves constant strategic analysis of
the operating environment of the industry, then making right
strategic choices at all times and ensuring genuine efforts at
implementing the strategies adopted at every point of growth.
Apart
from focusing on he banking and the oil industries, the other
company’s areas of core competence are Engineering Insurance and
Credit Risk Management.
By
any standard, Okehi is not a new comer to the tricky but
interesting business of insurance.
He is a prime mover and a key player in the industry.
A seasoned underwriter, marketer and administrator, he
holds a B.Sc. degree in Insurance and M.Sc. in Management both
from the
University
of
Lagos
.
He is also an Associate of both the Chartered Insurance
Institute,
London
,
and the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria.
He is also a member of Nigerian Institute of Management.
Despite his demanding work schedule, Okehi finds time to write on
insurance issues. To his credit, he has over fifty published
articles on insurance matters and management.
Newswatch Special Feature, Friday, 15 November 2002
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