The induction of Mr. Simon Ozoemenam Okeke into the fellowship of the highly-revered Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB) marks the zenith of a continuous and tenacious ascent to the summits of merit in insurance service delivery by a practitioner who has grown to become a visible icon of excellence in the industry.
By the award, Okeke ‘Ozo’ would now be admitted into the Society of Fellows of the Council of NCRIB.
The recognition stamps the mark of eminence on Okeke’s profile after he has risen through every rung of the ladder to join the distinguished fellows who stand tall among peers in an industry where success walks very thin lines.
Like a seed of success, Okeke encountered the insurance industry after launching sturdy strides to overcome the setbacks of the Nigerian civil war, which disrupted his smooth flow of early life and education.
Born in 1959 to the family of the late Mazi Okeke Nwosu and the late Mrs. Elizabeth Erimma Okeke in Ihiala town of present-day Anambra State, Mr. Simon Okeke’s primary education at Odoata Primary School, which started in 1964, suffered interruptions during the civil war before concluding in 1971.
Despite debilitating post-war challenges in the former Eastern Region, Mr. Okeke defied extreme deprivations in the region to gain admission into Abbot Boys’ Secondary School in 1972 and obtained his West African School Certificate in 1976 with Grade II.
Okeke’s brilliant performance at the WASC earned him a position as auxiliary teacher from the old Anambra State Education Commission, and in 1977 he taught at Boys’ Secondary School, Nnokwa. He also earned the privilege of teaching at the highly regarded Holy Ghost Juniorate, Ihiala, in 1978.
While teaching, Okeke sustained his ambition for greater knowledge and enhanced capacity as he aimed for an opportunity to provide more professional services in an industry that forms the pillar of financial security to every aspect of human endeavour. Thus, in 1979, Ozo gained admission into the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu, to study Insurance.
The admission confered him with the rare status of being one of the very a few of his age to graduate from a full course of professional study in Insurance, a course that was unrecognised in the eastern part of Nigeria at that time. It also paved the way for a vast traverse of the industry operations experience, which sharpened his skills and prepared him for challenging roles in the future.
Upon graduation in 1983, Okeke proceeded to Maiduguri in the old Borno State to be part of the patriotic National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). In Maiduguri, he served with African Alliance Insurance Company Limited, and upon completion of his NYSC, he picked up employment with United Modern Insurance Brokers in 1986 and was posted to the Lagos office as a Resident Inspector in October of the same year.
By November 1987, the young Okeke joined Crusader Insurance Nigeria Limited, where he was deployed in mainstream insurance business roles involving General Business Underwriting, Reinsurance, Claims and, later, Life and Pensions. Prominent among his senior colleagues in the company at that time were Alhaji A.I. Oyetola, Frank Abatti and a few others.
His enthusiasm for the job, dedication, honesty and undoubted efficiency in the discharge of his roles did not pass unnoticed. When Crusader closed its General Business in 1989, he, with one of his immediate bosses, Mr. Bola Temowo, formed the two-man core personnel left behind to run off all inter-company relationships and naturally reconcile books with local underwriters, foreign and local reinsurers. This challenging role lasted till 1991.
Undaunted by challenges, Okeke launched forward for greater knowledge and enhanced professionalism. While he worked to close the books on the General Business unit of Crusader Insurance, Okeke also qualified as Chartered Insurer and obtained his ACII from the Chartered Insurance Institute of London in the same year. He later took up the role of Assistant Manager (Marketing) at African Development Insurance Company (ADIC), now NSIA Insurance Nigeria, Lagos, from where he grew to senior manager position before leaving to become the pioneer AGM (Marketing) at Central Insurance Company(CICO) in 1994.
By 1996, Okeke completed his Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme with focus on International Marketing from Kensington University, Kailua Hawaii. In May 1998, he became the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Central Insurance Company Limited, which later merged with Linkage Assurance Plc.
After a short stint, the young, vibrant and energetic Okeke took a very rare decision to quit paid employment, and in 2000 floated Souche Insurance Brokers Limited, a firm of insurance brokers.
Through his journey in the industry, the insurance business imperceptibly formed an intrinsic part of his life so much so that even at the time of opportunity cost, Okeke had sacrificed parallel careers and investments to give expression to his passion for providing insurance cover for life, assets and businesses.
His spirit of enterprise had driven Okeke to diversify into a blossoming logistics business in 2003 known as Souche Parcel Services Limited; but in 2010 when the demands of the logistics business became a threat to the parent company’s existence he made a detour in favour of insurance broking.
Thus, by 2011, the name Souche Insurance Brokers was changed to Purebond Insurance Brokers Limited, the brand that currently provides seamless professional risk management services in the industry.
To those who know him, Okeke deserves every bit of reward and recognition from the insurance broking fraternity to which he has dedicated his productive energy, staked his passion and devoted his ingenuity in meeting the tall orders from highly demanding clients.
Today, Okeke stands tall as a widely travelled industry personality, an Associate and Fellowship member of many professional bodies in Nigeria and West Africa.