Efekoha
Welcome Address by Mr. Eddie A. Efekoha, Managing Director Consolidated Hallmark Insurance Plc at the Public Lecture held on May 04, 2017 to commemorate the 10th Year Anniversary of the Company.
Our Special Guest of Honour, The Commissioner for Insurance, NAICOM, Alhaji Mohammed Kari, ably represented by Mr Pius Agboola, Director Authorization & Policy,
The Lead Speaker, Dr Andrew Nevin,
Other distinguished Discussants,
Board, Management & Staff of CHI
Gentlemen of the Press
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
My task is simply to welcome everyone in the hall to this public lecture in celebration of Consolidated Hallmark Insurance 10th year anniversary of providing quality insurance service to our numerous customers. I do so very respectfully and thankfully knowing that for you to be here today with us you had chosen to forgo many other commitments.
As we mark the 10th anniversary of our company, post the merger of three legacy companies, with this public lecture we are first and foremost grateful to God for finding us worthy to remain in business despite the challenges that came our way. “According to collated research and a recent Harvard Business Review report, the failure rate for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) sits between 70% and 90%”. Today CHI is not classified among the failed M&As rather CHI is surviving and among the leading insurance underwriting companies in our market, growing better and stronger, preserving wealth and reducing anxieties of those who came our way. This explains our joy and why we have chosen to celebrate this way.
This public lecture is therefore our little way of giving back to all who have encouraged us in many ways during the past ten years.
As the message at the back stage goes, we won’t be 10 without our stakeholders. Permit me therefore to use the opportunity of this welcome address to acknowledge and appreciate the vision of our shareholders led by my University classmate and friend, Mr Anthony Aletor and my former Chairman, Ugo Dr Ralph Ekezie in bringing about this merger whose success story we are here to celebrate. I thank the Board, past and present, for providing management with the much needed oversight.
Engaging in a regulated business is no fun I can tell you for free. You are put constantly on your toes to comply with all regulations. The good thing about it is that such companies are better positioned to deliver exceptional returns to their stakeholders. Thank you Naicom for granting us the operating licence in 2007 and for not withdrawing same over these years. We pledge our commitment to be compliant always. Other regulators are not left out of this appreciation for being there for us.
To you our customers who have been with us before the merger and those who joined along the way and have remained with us, our esteemed brokers and agents, I thank you all for your most valued patronage without which we wouldn’t be here today.
One very important stakeholder in this journey of ten years are the employees, past and present, who despite the very difficult and challenging environment have worked tirelessly, applying knowledge, expertise and tenacity, with so much of discomfort to themselves, to ensuring this company succeeds. How can I thank you enough? Yesterday is gone and can only serve now as a guide as we strive to conquer our future. That journey into the future has just begun. Thank you so so much for standing up to be counted yesterday, today and tomorrow.
To our families and friends whose sincere advices have helped us in no small measure to get thus far and the Press who have projected us so positively in an industry that is negatively perceived by many I say thank you.
I can go on and on but I must at juncture go back to my task here and so on behalf of our board, management and staff I once again welcome everyone to this public lecture and I hope you would learn something new and useful that you as individual and or corporate leader can apply in the days ahead.
Thank you for your attention.
Eddie A. Efekoha
Managing Director/CEO
Consolidated Hallmark Insurance Plc
May 04, 2017
