Chandre Stemmers’ career took a pivotal turn thanks to a bursary she received from the FIA to study a part-time qualification in short-term insurance.
In 2020, Chandre Stemmers, a Portfolio Manager at STP Brokers, came across a newsletter from the FIA announcing the availability of study bursaries. Intrigued, she took it as the impetus she needed to do something that had been on her mind for some time – a BCom in shortterm insurance. “I saw the article and immediately knew this was an opportunity I couldn’t miss,” she says.
When Chandre’s bursary application was successful, she enrolled at Milpark Education. Now, she is just a semester away from earning a qualification that will open the door to new opportunities.
Always striving to be better
This degree is not Chandre’s first tertiary qualification. “I’ve been in the short-term space for quite some time already, and I’ve got all the usual insurance qualifications,” she says. Her daily responsibilities include managing client accounts, conducting risk assessments, and providing tailored insurance solutions.
Chandre has ambitious plans for her career in the short-term insurance industry. “I aspire to sit in a risk management role,” she says. She has been actively researching career paths on LinkedIn, aiming to align her educational pursuits with her professional goals. It became clear that pursuing this degree would be beneficial.
Conquering challenges
The journey has not been easy. “There is a massive drop-out rate for this particular course, but I carried on,” she says. It helps that Chandre has good knowledge of the short-term insurance space already, so some of the modules include content that she works with daily. Studying part-time is time-consuming. There were other modules, such as economics, that were new to Chandre. Fortunately, she is disciplined and determined to succeed – qualities that have helped her get through her degree without failing a single module, despite juggling the demands of her job and her duties as a mom.
She is already reaping the benefits. Her newfound knowledge allows her to engage in more meaningful conversations with clients and better understand industry trends. “It unlocks different conversations because every risk is not exactly the same,” she explains. As she continues to excel, Chandre remains committed to furthering her impact on the industry, armed with the skills and qualifications she’s gained.
Looking to the future
Chandre is on track to complete her degree early next year. It may not be the last time she hits the books. She’s considering a postgraduate degree next – all in line with her long-term vision of becoming a Chief Risk Officer. Chandre’s journey is a testament to her commitment to continuous learning and professional growth, inspired by the foundational support she received from the FIA bursary, which proved to be the catalyst she needed. “This was in the back of my mind, but it was a big step. If it wasn’t for the FIA, I maybe wouldn’t have done this and I would have regretted it later,” she says.