NAMIBIA – Welwitschia Insurance Brokers (WIB), a Personal, Commercial, and customised products for specialised industries, has named Elaine Schlechter as the new CEO, report New Era Live.

Before joining WIB, Schlechter held various leadership positions at NedBank Namibia and Welwitschia Insurance Brokers. Before moving to Nedbank, she worked for WIB as the Executive Director, National Sales.

Commenting on her return in her new capacity, Schlechter said: “It is always a privilege to be asked to take on a leadership role, a privilege that comes with great responsibility. I have held leadership roles before but taking on this one felt a little different in that Welwitschia Insurance Brokers is not a large corporate.

“I have worked in this environment before, and it is quite different, it allows you, or requires you, to focus on different things, perhaps more important things. Certainly, very real things, no unnecessary corporate red tape, less committees, leaving me with more time to focus on growing the business.”

Schlechter noted that from a young age, she always had a strong entrepreneurial side and was fortunate for various opportunities to feed her interest in exploring new ventures and setting up businesses, not limited to having her own brokerage.

With over 30 years of experience in the banking and short-term insurance sector, Schlechter brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her new position.

Asked about her vision for Welwitschia Insurance Brokers, she said: “Together with my able team, I am striving to build a future, in which Welwitschia will become a well-respected insurance intermediary with a clear proposition to our clients, people, and markets. I have no doubt that we will reliably deliver on this promise and therefore be trusted by those that we work for and those who choose to work for us.”

Welwitschia Independent Insurance Brokers was established in 1984. In 1997, Bank Windhoek Holdings Limited took a strategic decision to diversify its operations from banking to insurance broking. On 31 March 1998 Welwitschia Independent Insurance Brokers became part of the Bank Windhoek Holdings Group.

Bank Windhoek Holdings acquired 100% of the shares in the company offering short-term products to the market. Subsequently, 20% were sold to Nam-mic Financial Services Holdings (Pty) Limited (NFS).

Nammic sold their shareholding in WNIB to Bank Windhoek Holdings and on 31 October 2011 Welwitschia Nammic Insurance Brokers became a 100% subsidiary of Bank Windhoek Holdings.

Welwitschia Insurance Brokers (Pty) Ltd, being part of Sanlam and Capricorn Group, have strong Group relations and backing to ensure continuity as Short-term Brokerage.