The Sunday Mail
Enacy Mapakame
“Dare to be different and be prepared to put in extra hours.”
These are words of advice for women and girls by Tambudzai Madzivire, the founder and managing director for Dynamic Risk Solutions.
Coming from a family of 10, with elder siblings and parents in the teaching profession, Mrs Madzivire did the unthinkable by “straying” from the family legacy.
She opted for the insurance industry.
That alone became a huge challenge as she faced resistance within the family, but she believed in herself and wanted to be different and take on the insurance sector which was and is still male dominated.
Through determination, hard work and enthusiasm, Mrs Madzivire rose through ranks and worked for different insurance firms until she formed her own company.
“I started my insurance career in 1995 at Diamond Insurance Company, then I moved to Zimnat Insurance Company and later I joined Grand Reinsurance Company where I worked as the general manager before I founded Dynamic Insurance Brokers in 2008 where I was the chief executive officer
“I left Dynamic in 2010 to join the United Nations Development Programme, AMSCO arm, Nigeria where I was heading Reinsurance for Adic Insurance Company. I came back to Zimbabwe at the end of 2012 to head operations at Credit Insurance Company, before moving to Champions Insurance Company in 2016 as the managing director.
“In 2019, Dynamic Risk Solutions was born under my leadership and I am currently its managing director,” she said.
Her 26 years of experience in the insurance sector has made a mark, earning recognition and landing her posts in boards of three companies among them the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA).
She, however, emphasises this does not come on a silver platter and that education unlocks opportunities, not only for the girl child and women, but for everyone.
Mrs Madzivire is a holder of Bachelor of Commerce Honours Degree in Insurance and Risk Management from the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), a holder of a Diploma in Insurance from United Kingdom (ACII) and a Master’s in Business Administration from Eastern and Southern Africa Management Institute.
She acknowledges that being a female leader has not been an easy road for her with instances where she was sidelined for promotions on the misconception it would be costly to promote a female.
She said: “In some instance, men were preferred for promotion over women, because ‘these ladies will go on maternity leave’, thereby creating a gap.
“I had to fight my way up, particularly where I realised that I was being sidelined and if any opportunity to present my case to my superior came, I would quickly grab it and use it wisely. Prior to 1995, there wasn’t any insurance firm that was managed by a lady, and by 2019, out of all the insurance companies and reinsurance companies, only four were headed by ladies, myself included.”
Mrs Madzivire believes women have to work extra hours to balance work and family responsibilities if they are to make it to the top in the corporate world and make a significant contribution towards economic development.
Despite having more women in universities taking up Risk Management and Insurance degree, there is still a huge gap to fill in leadership positions which has prompted the sector’s female leaders to come up with an association for Women in Insurance, which helps mentor and encourage young women to take up leadership roles.
Since its formation, there has been an improvement with more women in the sector although not yet in leadership positions. There are a lot of opportunities, Mrs Madzivire reckons, in insurance and other sectors of the economy such as energy.
She added, women have what it takes to be in leadership as long as they remain determined with clear set goals and have the ability to make meaningful contributions in boardrooms.
“What I have learnt, from experience, is that you need to be calm and drive your point. You will be respected for that.
“The most important attribute is your integrity, of course coupled with your qualifications and experience. Believe in God, believe in yourself, pray, aim high and stay focused,” she said.
While the road may not be smooth, Mrs Madzivire believes quitting is not an option.
“Disappointments are part of the journey, just don’t give up. Remember quitters leave no legacy.”
