The initiative of instituting “FAIR Hall of Fame” has been presented and adopted to honor the eminent Professionals and Leaders of the Afro-Asian Insurance Industry, who have made outstanding contribution. The recognition will be made to those who have garnered the vision, will, knowledge, skill, loyalty, patriotic sense, unquestioned ethics and who made outstanding contributions to the advancement of the insurance industry, locally and regionally.
7th Laureate – 2023 - Dr. Mounir Kabban
Dr. Mounir Kabban was a prominent figure in the insurance industry, known for his co-founding of United Insurance Brokers England and his significant contributions to the field.
Achievements in the Insurance Business::
- Chairman & CEO of UIB Holdings (UK) Ltd. (UIB Group): Dr. Kabban held the position of Chairman and CEO of UIB Holdings, overseeing the group's operations and strategic direction.
- Leadership Roles at UIB International Ltd. and United Insurance Brokers Limited: He also served as a leader in these subsidiaries of the UIB Group, contributing to their growth and success.
- Focus on International Re/Insurance Broking: Dr. Kabban's expertise and leadership were particularly evident in the international re/insurance broking sector, where he played a key role in expanding UIB's global reach.
Legacy:
Dr. Mounir Kabban's contributions to the insurance industry were widely recognized. He was known for his strong leadership, strategic vision, and dedication to building a successful and respected insurance brokerage firm.
His legacy continues to be felt at UIB, where his influence is still evident in the company's operations and culture..
6th Laureate – 2021 - Mr. Muzaffer Aktas and Mr. AbdelAal ElDawi AbdelAal
They were honored during the closing dinner of the FAIR 27th Conference in Egypt 2021.
Mr. Muzaffer Aktas
- Born 1938 in Mardin, Turkey
- Graduated in 1962 from Istanbul University having studied Law.
- After Military Service, joined Milli Reasurans T.A.S. in 1964 as Executive in charge of all foreign operations in Afro-Asia which is currently the sixth oldest reinsurance company in the world and largest reinsurance company in the region.
- In 1965 spent 6 months in Zurich Swiss Insurance Institute undertaking insurance training followed by a year in London training with Mercantile & General Reinsurance Company, Sun Insurance, Volkan Insurance, Commercial Insurance and Willis Faber & Dumas Limited.
- Returned to Istanbul and enrolled at Istanbul Bar Association whilst continuing all foreign operations at Milli Reasurans until 1979.
Key Qualifications:
- Founder of FAIR Non-Life Reinsurance Pool and subsequently became Managing Director of the Pool.
- Founder of ECO Pool.
- Whilst at Milli Reasurans in Istanbul, acted twice as expert in UNCTAD and translated invisible and agricultural books of UNCTAD into Turkish.
- Lectured in Turkish Insurance Institute.
- Authored books on ‘Personal Accident, "Burglary Insurance’ and ‘How to Sell Insurance".
- In February 1980 joined Stewart Wrightson in London as their Executive Director which is now Willis Towers Watson where he became Managing Director and later Chairman of Turkey, extended Middle East & North Africa until the end of 2016.
- Spoke at conferences in Istanbul, Cyprus, Cairo, Tunis, Beirut, Singapore, Teheran, Karachi, Buenos Aires, Kuala Lumpur, Bahrain, Dubai, Bali, Baku, Azerbaijan and Bucharest.
- Ex-Board Member of Kuwait Re
- Board Member of Mead Gulf Hold.
Mr. AbdelAal ElDawi AbdelAal
Qualifications:
Cairo University faculty of law 1964
Swiss insurance center 1972
Training with insurance Dept Switzerland and with insurance brokers and cos. in UK 1972-1973
Career:
He joined the Sudan ministry of finance 1965 Taxation dept as assistant inspector, promoted to inspector 1969 and transferred to the insurance dept and he stayed in the insurance dept until promoted to first deputy undersecretary director of insurance dept.
During his being the head of insurance dept. of in the ministry of finance:
- He represented the ministry of finance in more than ten board of directors in Cos. & corporations in which the ministry had interest.
- He was responsible for all the insurance of the government assets such as Aviation, Marine Cargo, Marine Hull, Cotton, Oil Industry, Fire, Motor, and other classes.
- He participated in the discussions of forming Africa RE and he signed the agreement of Africa RE on behalf of Sudan and was a member and ALT member of Africa RE from the start until 1986.
- He was the assistant of Mohammed Sadig who was the expert appointed by the United Nation to study the feasibility of forming reinsurance company in Sudan.
He was a member of the board of directors of National RE.
He joined Juba Insurance as GM., where he managed to increase the capital of juba from 250.000 SDG to 21.000.000
Juba insurance joined FAIR in 1987 and he attended a meeting 1987 and continued to attend almost thirty meetings of FAIR since 1990, and he was convener of the finance subcommittee.
Lately he was General Manager of Tawasol Insurance Service.
5th Laureate – 2019 – Mr. Yassir Albaharna
Mr. Yassir was honored during the closing dinner of the FAIR 26th Conference in Morocco 2019
Mr. Albaharna graduated in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in engineering (Mechanical) from McGill University in Montreal and then in 1986 obtained dual Masters in Engineering (Manufacturing) and an M.B.A (High Honors) from Boston University. He was elected as “Fellow” and “Chartered Insurer” of the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) in 1993.
He joined the reinsurance division of Arab Insurance Group (Arig) in 1987 and assumed various underwriting and managerial positions, culminating in becoming the CEO in 2006 until his departure in June 2018. Throughout, he has traveled extensively and represented Arig in numerous regional and international forums.
Mr. Albaharna’s former directorships include being the Chairman of Arig Capital (London), Chairman of Gulf Warranties (Bahrain), Chairman of FAIR Oil & Energy Insurance Syndicate (Bahrain), Chairman of Arig Insurance Management (DIFC), Chairman of the FAIR Non-Life Reinsurance Pool (Istanbul), Managing Director of Takaful Re (DIFC), Board member of Arima Insurance Software (Bahrain) and Board member of GlobeMed (Bahrain).
He is past Chairman of the Federation of Afro-Asian Insurers and Reinsurers (Cairo), Past President of the Association of Insurers and Reinsurers of Developing Countries (Manila), Member of the Honors Committee of the International Insurance Society (New York) and Board member of Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance.
He is currently Chief Executive Officer of Bahrain based Trust International Insurance and Reinsurance Company B.S.C. (c) “Trust Re”
4th Laureate – 2017 - Mr. Atul Boda
Mr. Atul Boda was honored during the closing dinner of the FAIR 25th Conference in Bahrain 2017
Mr. Atul Boda is a Bachelor of Commerce and Associate of Insurance Institute of India.
He is Group Chairman and is spearheading the J. B. Boda Group’s operations spanning across Africa, Asia, and Europe & Caribbean Islands.
He has over 3 decades of insurance industry experience with reinsurance solutions as core area of his expertise.
Mr. Boda was on the Board of IBAI (an IRDA recognized apex body of Insurance / Reinsurance Brokers in India) and founder member of FBCS.
3rd Laureate – 2015 - Mr. Abdel-Raouf Kotb
Mr. Abdel-Raouf Kotb was honored during the closing dinner of the FAIR 24th Conference in Egypt 2015.
Mr. Kotb began his career in 1960 with Egyptian Reinsurance Company, Egypt, and continued to work for Egypt Re till the end of 1972 holding leading positions in its management.
He joined Al Ahleia Insurance Company, Kuwait from 1973 till 1999 holding leading positions in its top management.
He supervised the affairs of the Hawk Insurance Company, United Kingdom “Al Ahleia Subsidiary British Insurance Company” from 1979 till 1999.
He was Vice Chairman and board member of Pharaonic Insurance Company, Egypt from 1999 till 2001.
He was Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Mohandes Insurance Company, Egypt from 2001 till 2003.
He was Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Egyptian Saudi Insurance House Co., the first Takaful Insurance Company in the Egyptian market from 2003 till June 2019.
He was Chairman of the Insurance Federation of Egypt from 2007 till 2017.
He was Council Member of Faculty of Commerce, Cairo University from 2011 till 2013, and has supervised Masters and PHDs theses with insurance themes.
He was Chairman of the African Insurance Organization “AIO” from May 2013 till May 2014.
He was Chairman of the Insurance Institute of Egypt from 2015 till 2019.
He was Chairman of the Federation of Afro-Asian Insurers and Reinsurers “FAIR” for two periods.
2nd Laureate – 2013 - Mr. Ghazi Abunahl
Mr. Abu Nahl was honored during the closing dinner of the FAIR 23rd Conference in China 2013.
Mr. Ghazi Abunahl started his career in insurance in Qatar in the 1960s. In 1979, with twenty solid years of experience under his belt, he set up Qatar General Insurance & Reinsurance Company as a domestic insurance company in Qatar and has been the General Manager ever since. The firm’s profitability rose steadily with Mr. Ghazi at the helm; paid capital stands at 133 million US$. The Company is publicly quoted on the Qatari Stock Exchange and considered an excellent security in both Middle Eastern and international markets with a BBB+ rating from A.M. Best.
Ten years later, Mr. Ghazi again demonstrated his entrepreneurial flair when he established Trust International Insurance & Reinsurance Company BSC (c) Trust Re, in Bahrain as one of the then few reinsurance companies in the region with a paid capital of 15 million US$. Today Trust Re earned its A- (Excellent) rating by A.M. Best with a stable outlook. Its business covers the MENA region, Asia, Africa as well as Turkey, Russia, and the Central Eastern European markets.
1st Laureate – 2011 – Mr. Ezzat Abdel-Bary & Amb. Alfonso T. Yuchengo
Mr. Ezzat Abdel-Bary in addition to Amb. Alfonso T. Yuchengo were the first joint recipient of the FAIR Hall of Fame.
They have been honored during the closing dinner of the FAIR 22nd Conference in Egypt 2011. Mr. Abdel-Raouf Kotb, FAIR President and Mr. Hammam Badr, FAIR Secretary General presented to the laureates their medals of honor and certificates of recognition.
Mr. Ezzat Abdel-Bary
Mr. Ezzat Abdel-Bary graduated from Faculty of Commerce, Cairo University, in 1954. He got his postgraduate diploma in Finance from Cairo University in 1966 and in B.A. from the National Administration Institute of Egypt in 1968.
In 1972, he was appointed in the cabinet of Egypt as the Under-Secretary responsible for the Prime Minister’s Office. In 1975, he held the post of the Vice Chairman & CEO of the Egyptian Insurance Organization (The Holding of the Insurance Companies).
In 1981, he held the post of the Deputy Chairman & CEO of the Egyptian Insurance Supervisory Authority. He was appointed Chairman & CEO of Al Chark Insurance Company of Egypt from 1983 to 1993. In addition, he assumed the following posts and responsibilities.
⦁ Chairman of Africa Re - (1986-1992)
⦁ Chairman of the Egyptian Nuclear Insurance Pool (1986 -1993).
⦁ Deputy Chairman of Al Mohandes Insurance Company Egypt (1985-1990).
⦁ Associate Lecturer for Postgraduates at Faculty of Commerce, Cairo University (1981 - 1993).
Amb. Alfonso T. Yuchengo
Mr. Alfonso Tiaoqui Yuchengco was born in 1923 in Manila. He has excelled in his career as business executive, accumulating a large portfolio of chairmanships of leading firms in the Far East.
He was Founder and Chairman of the Yuchengco Group of Companies (YGC), Alfonso T. Yuchengco, fondly called “AY” in business circles, is acknowledged as one of the Philippines’ most successful taipans.
On top of his numerous achievements in business, he also has had a distinguished career in government service. He has served as ambassador to China and to Japan and as the Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations. He has also been a trusted adviser to multiple Filipino presidents, and currently serves as Presidential Adviser for Foreign Affairs with a cabinet rank under the Arroyo administration.
His business career in the 1950s and 1960s was characterized by rapid expansion and diversification. Life insurance was also proving at the time to be the most profitable insurance business in the Philippines.
Ambassador Yuchengco entered the life insurance business by forming a new company, Great Pacific Life Assurance Corp. or Grepalife.
Malayan proceeded to develop foreign connections abroad on the best possible terms for itself and the insurance industry. It went on to become the largest non-life insurance company in Southeast Asia and a leading reinsurer to smaller companies in the Philippines.
To-date, the Yuchengco Group of Companies is a 60-company conglomerate with investments ranging from banking to insurance, automotive vehicles to travel and tourism, construction and engineering to information technology, making it one of Southeast Asia’s largest and most diversified conglomerates.