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The Patriot on Sunday

The Patriot on Sunday

A Sunday broadsheet newspaper that focuses on business and politics. It started publishing on Sunday

The Patriot on Sunday

10 hours ago

The Patriot on Sunday
MIKE MOTHIBI AT HIS FINAL RESTING PLACEMultitudes of people attended Veteran journalist Mike Mothibi's funeral in Kanye this morning, with speakers proclaiming the good hard working man he was.He leaves behind three children, one boy and two girls and six siblings - four brothers and two sisters. ... See MoreSee Less

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The Patriot on Sunday

11 hours ago

The Patriot on Sunday
Who will be on the Court of Appeal bench to hear & determine IEC appeal against UDC? *ADAM PHETLHE It is generally agreed that the case between Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) is that of exceptional public importance. As a consequence, the case has so far generated a lot of public interest in terms of looking at all its optics. I predict exceptional public interest will continue way beyond the conclusion of the case. So who amongst the present Justices of Appeal will make the cut? It is difficult to say with a measure of certainty who will make the cut but to predict. Depending on the number of Justices required for this expedited appeal, I predict the following to make the cut. Justices Tebogo Tau, Isaac Lesetedi, Mercy Garekwe, Lackvinder Singh & Leatile Dambe. Former South Africa Constititional Court Justice Bess Nkabinde could also make the cut. All the above local Justices have sat on the bench in high profile cases notably last year's DIS appeal with respect to the search warrant for State House 4, the 'contested' official residence of former President Khama. In this case where there were 5 Justices, Justices Tau, Lesetedi & Singh ruled against the DIS while Justices Garekwe & Dambe dissented. It is my belief that Justices decide matters based on what evidence/facts are before them. That some ruled this or the other way in previous cases is, for lack of a better word, inconsequential. The Chief Justice has sat on some appeal cases I have had sight of. I think he will be disqualified in this one because he is party to an application on another leg of the UDC/IEC case. It will be interesting to see if Justice Tau will make the cut owing to a comment she made when delivering judgement on Wednesday with respect to IEC's request to have its appeal expedited. That comment (and I am paraphrasing) had to do with the intrusive nature UDC’s observers would cause if allowed to observe & monitor voter registration exercise. I believe this comment has already rendered her conflicted to sit in the upcoming appeal proceedings. Time will tell as to who will be on the bench when the appeal proceedings begin on Monday 11 December 2023. Or, will it be new faces? ... See MoreSee Less

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The Patriot on Sunday

13 hours ago

The Patriot on Sunday
#Available IN STORES #grabyourcopy #frontpagethisweek Main Headline: KHAMA OR BOKO?♦️ BPF prefers Khama as UDC chief campaigner FOR A DETAILED REPORT GRAB A COPY OF THE PATRIOT ON SUNDAY NEWSPAPER IN STORES OR FOR SUBSCRIPTION VISIT: www.thepatriot.co.bw ... See MoreSee Less

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The Patriot on Sunday was live.

1 day ago

The Patriot on Sunday
5TH KUSI IDEAS FESTIVAL UNDERWAY AT ROYAL ARIA IN TLOKWENG.#ikanyerona#mindsetchange#kgasoyapopota ... See MoreSee Less

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The Patriot on Sunday

2 days ago

The Patriot on Sunday
Good bye MikeMesh Moeti bids his friend Mike Mothibi farewell. ... See MoreSee Less

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On the couch with William Surmon

patriot by patriot
February 8, 2021
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Newly appointed Executive Head of Sales and Marketing at Botswana Insurance Company (BIC), William Surmon breaks down his new role at leading insurer. He talks to LAME MODISE

Kindly introduce yourself?

My name is William Surmon, born in Johannesburg, South Africa and currently residing and working in Botswana. I am the Executive Head of Sales and Marketing for Botswana Insurance Company. My experience in the financial services industry has largely been gained over the past 30 years within the retail banking, mortgage lending and insurance industries. During this time, I have had the opportunity to work for First National Bank, Absa Bank, Standard Bank, Zurich Insurance Company, Coface South Africa and now for Botswana Insurance Company.

What is your line of work?

I specialise in Sales, Distribution and Marketing for financial and insurance institutions. This includes Bancassurance, General Insurance, Credit Insurance Mortgage Lending and Retail Banking.

How does that work?

Insurance provides cover to individuals or companies to prevent them from financial loss in the event of unforeseen circumstances. The cover is determined by the terms and conditions of the policy undertaken by the individual or company.

What propelled you to do the kind of work you do?

My entry into financial services as a career was prompted through advice given to me by my father. He could see the potential in me to build a solid career within banking. During my years in banking, I was exposed to the insurance industry and managed to build strong competencies across both industries.

When and how was your first encounter with the profession?

My first encounter with the Financial Services Industry was in 1989 with First National Bank (FNB) in Hillbrow, Johannesburg.

How long have you been doing what you do?

I have been selling and marketing financial services for over 30 years.

What would you change about the industry?

I believe we have the opportunity to create new value propositions for the local market, through better understanding the risks locally, and then using our regional presence and cross group collaboration to develop integrated products and services that unlock additional value for our clients.

Who would you say is your biggest competitor and why?

I believe that it is not always the biggest competitor that you need to be mindful of, but those new entrants that have found a better solution for your current clients. These are known as market disruptors, and to me, I am mindful of new or emerging industry players and what they potentially bring to the industry.

What challenges do you face in your line of work?

The biggest challenge in the insurance industry is predicting the probability of a risk event occurring and how to price this effectively.

How do you overcome these challenges?

We use well developed underwriting and risk assessment models to help us understand and price the risks we insure. We also ensure that we continuously train and develop our staff, so that we can provide our clients with a policy that will pay their claim in the event of an unforeseen event occurring.

What has been your biggest achievement in your profession?

I have received the following awards: Contact in Gauteng – Contact Centre Manager of the year 2005, SACCCOM (BPeSA) National Contact Centre Manager of the Year 2005 (Top Contact Centre Manager in SA) Absa Group Prestige Awards: 2010 Leadership, 2008 Innovation and 2003 Financial. In 2005, I was nominated for Standard Bank Stars awards. In 2010, I was promoted to an E Level Executive position in Absa Bank as General Manager, which is ranked in the Top 1% of positions within the Banking Group. In Standard Bank, I managed to grow the Topline contribution of the Sales and Retention call centre by 204% between 2004 and 2005. As Chief Commercial Officer at Coface, we delivered a 30% Year on Year growth in Trade Credit Premium and 34% YoY growth in Fee Income. Improved operational efficiencies and cost containment within the Commercial Structure resulted in the Highest Topline and Net Growth performance recorded in the Company to date.

Any notable setbacks?

Yes, during my career, I stepped outside the Financial Services Industry into the Timeshare Hospitality industry. I did not enjoy the experience and rejoined the Financial Services Industry soon after.

What advice would you give anyone interested in working in your field?

I would recommend the financial insurance industry to any person who would like to experience a truly global career. During my tenure in the Financial Services Industry, I have been exposed to a number of global markets including: Absa/ Barclays in United Kingdom, Canada, Spain and Italy. Standard Bank in United Kingdom. Zurich Insurance Company in Switzerland, Dubai and Botswana. In Coface, we had global interactions with France and Italy.

How can this extensive exposure such as the one you have propel or broaden one’s career opportunities?

With this exposure into global markets, you get a really good sense of different operating models, commercial models, marketing strategies, sales and distribution techniques.

Out of curiosity, how does one obtain or amass this exposure?

This experience can only be obtained by being part of significant industry players with strong regional and global networks and partnerships.

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  • Towards a Brighter Tomorrow: India’s G20 Presidency and the Dawn of a New MultilateralismNovember 30, 2023
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