How Oluwatosin Adebayo-Yusuf rose from Underwriter at Cornerstone Insurance in 2007 to ED/COO of Heirs Life Assurance in 2023
Oluwatosin Adebayo-Yusuf did not set out for the Insurance industry from the onset. Her academic sojourn at the Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti and Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) earned her certificates in Science Technology and Chemical Engineering respectively.
However, she has remained consistent in her new career path ever since landing the Underwriter job role at Cornerstone Insurance in 2007. That landmark job offer made her become one of the few Nigerian professionals who are stuck to what they truly believed in irrespective of juicy enticements from competing disciplines.
At a time when people want to have virtually a taste of all there is to be in the corporate world, Adebayo-Yusuf simply held to heart what she considers her passion from beginning. While there are truly many Jacks of all trades in today’s corporate world, Adebayo-Yusuf might just pass as one of the few masters of one!
Oluwatosin Adebayo-Yusuf’s steady rise to peak of career
The professional ladder has not been entirely smooth for Adebayo-Yusuf as many might think. She has had her share of the ups and downs of corporate life. Coming from a science background, one can only imagine the level of commitment and dedication she must have put in to adapt in no time to her new career environment. More so, staffers in the insurance industry in this part of the world, particularly here in Nigeria are prone to seeking greener pastures in other competing and rewarding fields of discipline but not Adebayo-Yusuf. For her, it is either insurance or nothing!
From being a Consulting Assistant in 2004, Adebayo-Yusuf would later found herself as an Underwriter in the Retail Market Team of Cornerstone Insurance Plc in 2007. A role she diligently played for one year leading to her promotion as Team Lead, Underwriting Department of the Apapa Branch of the company. She held on to this role from 2009 to 2012.
She started her 2013 on a new level as Bancassurance and Retail Relationship Manager of Cornerstone Insurance. She was on this role for one year and that marked her meritorious exit from Cornerstone.
In May 2014, the insurance doyen resumed as Head, Microinsurance/Bancassurance of FBNInsurance Ltd. She was barely six months on that role when company deemed her fit for a bigger task. In same 2014, Adebayo-Yusuf moved up the ladder as Head, Schemes & Groups Administration of FBNInsurance Ltd.
In December 2015, she got a bigger portfolio as Head, Claims of the company. Having satisfied the FBNInsurance Ltd management on her specified job roles and deliverables for three years, another promotion came calling. In October, 2018, Adebayo-Yusuf became Head, Client Services of the company. She was just eight months on that role when her service was again needed in higher capacity. This time as, Deputy Head, Technical Operations of FBNInsurance Ltd.
In February 2020, the Chemical Engineer turned Insurer became Head, New Business of FBNInsurance Ltd. She would later move on from FBNInsurance Ltd to Heirs Life Assurance Ltd. In December 2020, she resumed as Head, Individual Life Business Operations of the Tony Elumelu owned Heirs Life Assurance Ltd. In just about a year and three months precisely March 2022, she became Head, Bancassurance of the company.
As a reward for her steadfastness, dedication and inspiration for more result oriented service, the Heirs Life Assurance Ltd management in May announced Adebayo-Yusuf as its new Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer.
Deliberate career development
Having found herself in a different career path with her initial degrees, Adebayo-Yusuf proceeded to obtain several professional courses that boosted her impressive growth trajectory. In 2020, she bagged Executive MBA in Business Administration, Operations, Strategy and Management from the Quantic School of Business & Technology in United States.
She also holds a Certificate in Operational Risk Management from The Institute of Operational Risk Management, United Kingdom. She is a Chartered Associate (ACII) of the Insurance and Risk Management Chartered Insurance Institute, Nigeria.
Accomplishments
Her accomplishments include;
• Digital operations of the technical processes at Heirs Life Assurance
• Paper Presentation on Landscape of Microinsurance in Nigeria at the College of Insurance
and Financial Management
• Bancassurance Overview Workshop Facilitation at College of Insurance and Financial
Management
• Presented Slides on behalf of FBNInsurance Ltd. Managing Director at FBN Holdings Plc
Induction Programme
• Automated Claims Liquidation Processes
• Automated New Business Sales Capturing
• Realized Over NGN 1B in Premium on About to Lapse Policies
• Improved Turn Around Time by 76% on liquidation payments
Affiliations
Adebayo-Yusuf is affiliated to several professional bodies within and outside Nigeria that has helped shaped her career growth over the years. These include;
• An Associate member of Institute of Operational Risk Management (IOR – a member of The Institute of Risk Management (IRM)) United Kingdom, an organization that constantly keeps up with worldwide risk managements trends.
• A member of Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP), Financial Risk Manager (FRM) student, United States.
• An Associate member of the Risk Managers Society of Nigeria (ARMN), an association of corporate bodies and individual members dedicated to the promotion of Risk Awareness and Risk Management culture in Nigeria.
• An Associate member of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (ACIIN).
