Insurance Association of Seychelles (IAS) appoints new chairman |29 February 2020

The managing director of Falcon Insurance, Darren Roberts, has been appointed as the new chairman of the Insurance Association of Seychelles (IAS).

Mr Roberts was delighted with the appointment and praised the local insurance sector, having himself been part of this landscape for the last few years. His background is from the UK insurance market and has over 20 years global insurance experience.

The new chairman openly discussed his passionate feelings for the local market and economy and feels proud to be part of this new era in the financial services sector of Seychelles.

“I am really looking forward to my tenure as chairman as I feel through the IAS we have the ability to bring all our local insurers together for the greater good of a progressive industry. Hopefully we can produce a unity which will see us collaborating more with each other and retain business locally rather than with offshore suppliers,” he said.

Mr Roberts added that “The IAS also provides a springboard for our insurers to grow the portfolio of available insurance products, with heads of all local insurers sitting round the table, our meetings often become an innovative think tank”.

The IAS is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the promotion and growth of the local insurance industry through Research, Education, and Advocacy and is the voice of the Seychelles insurance industry which is a proactive, inclusive and thriving sector.

The local insurance industry provides peace of mind to homes and businesses across the islands and helps power the growth of local and regional economies by enabling trade, risk taking, investment and innovation. Proudly, the association has full inclusion of all domestic insurance companies as members operating in various types of insurance sectors.

Mr Roberts said that the local insurance market is a very buoyant and quick changing landscape with the addition of new insurers over the past few years, it is now time we endeavour to harmonise regulatory and insurance laws while lobbying for the strengthening of local companies operating within the region.

The aims of the association is to:

• Provide a forum for the meeting of IAS members to unite as one;

• Provide a platform for insurers transacting business in Seychelles to exchange views, ideas and concerns on matters affecting the local insurance industry;

• Create insurance educational policies for the local community and promote a better understanding of insurance among all stakeholders;

• Promote the development of the insurance industry, creating public & private partnerships to promote the use of insurance as a reliable means to deal with risks;
• Represent the sector’s interests before the public sector authorities to generate an appropriate inclusive regulation;
• Develop and increase consumer trust in local insurers including claims management frameworks and conflict resolution, in order to boost integrity & growth of the industry;
• Promote a risk prevention culture and the use of insurance as a protection mechanism through its various financial education programmes, as part of their social responsibility;
• Develop consumer skills allowing them to make informed decisions on risk management and insurance and promote high standards of ethics among its members;
• Encourage and assist in the advancement of insurance education and knowledge and generally to promote any scheme which may tend to raise the standard of the insurance profession in the Seychelles.

Contributed