Leading with Purpose: LaRochelle Dreyer’s Journey into Finance and Fulcrum
15 September 2025
The Fulcrum Group Q&A: Khaya Mashologu
12 November 2025
Fulcrum: Looking ahead into 2026, what trends or shifts, whether business, tech, regulatory, or product-related, do you think will have the biggest impact on the insurance industry?
Rianet: If there’s one word that captures what’s coming, it’s adaptation. The insurance industry is being forced to evolve faster than ever, not only because of technology but because of people. Clients want relevance, brokers want tools that add real value, and regulators are tightening their focus on fairness and conduct. I think the biggest shifts will come from AI, whether we like it or not and with that – how do we use it to work for and with us and how do make sure it’s not this big ‘burden’ or thing we just can’t cope with. I think there is also a bigger focusing on educating clients, and at the same time developing people.
Fulcrum: Who do you see shaping the conversation in South African insurance right now, the people, companies, or innovations that stand out to you?
Rianet: The big guys with the big budgets will always play a fair role in shaping or at least starting conversations. Then we see – in our space – advisers who are redefining what advice looks like in a digital world – the younger leaders who are unafraid to question “how we’ve always done things,”. I’ve had some interesting conversations with some of the older more traditional advisers and brokers battling with the ‘new’ way of doings things. Then there are the innovators like those bringing tech into claims validation, or embedding mental health support into policies — they’re quietly rewriting what value means in insurance.
Fulcrum: What’s working well in the South African insurance industry that perhaps doesn’t always get enough spotlight?
Rianet: We don’t talk enough about the ‘bigger purpose’ of this industry. Brokers, claims handlers, underwriters often go far beyond the call of duty to help people rebuild their lives. That human side gets overshadowed by price wars and policy jargon. There’s also strong collaboration happening behind the scenes, partnerships between insurers, UMAs, DFMs, and tech providers that are actually making the client experience smoother. We need to celebrate that more.
Fulcrum: If you could change one thing about how the insurance industry operates or communicates, what would it be?
Rianet: I’d change how we communicate our purpose, both to the public and to each other. Too often, we lead with products and forget the people behind them. I’d love to see more authentic storytelling, not marketing spin, that reminds South Africans that insurance is about protection, dignity, and continuity, not paperwork and premiums. Internally, I’d also like less siloed thinking. We’re stronger when we remember that we’re part of an ecosystem, not competitors fighting for the same client.
Fulcrum: Of all the insurance-related stories you’ve reported on, which one has stayed with you, and why?
Rianet: There’s a lot of stories – but unfortunately most of the stories we hear are those we read that comes from the Ombud, so nothing that stands out there. The series I did with Global Choices on the softer side of insurance and the various people I interviewed through that campaign was all fantastic reminders of the fact that we as an industry are doing amazing work… we are changing lives, and yes – we can do a lot more but we are doing a fine job in many ways.
