UNISURE: Powerful Protection Provider Promises Peace of Mind
Global insurance solutions provider, Unisure, aims to be loved and trusted – a tough task for any insurance business. But new CEO Barry Sundelson believes Unisure is more than capable as he looks for scale in this unique and exciting operation.
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A powerful team is hard at work building a truly global insurance provider. An extensive range of products, at competitive prices, in an accessible manner is the aim. And The Unisure Group’s Chairman, Dr Graham Woolford, and cofounder, Stephen Conway, have, since the company’s formation in 2010, managed to deliver.
The Unisure Group offers health and life insurance, and a robust portfolio of associated products, to give people peace of mind as they work around the world. Individual life, group life, global health, often provided to multinational corporates with employees that travel the world – all delivered by a cohesive global team – gives Unisure a unique competitive advantage.
But the next stage in the company’s growth is scale. Already protecting a large number of lives and delivering key services to multiple corporate clients, Unisure has lofty ambitions.
“Our aim is to protect and look after one million families per year,” declares new Group CEO Barry Sundelson, who joined the business in April 2023 after highly successful spells leading Discovery’s Vitality and Card divisions.
Sundelson arrives as Unisure targets real impact following a long and strong period of building capability and brand. His ability to build strategies and work across challenging, diverse environments make him perfect to oversee significant expansion.
Barry Sundelson, CEO
MULTIPLY SIGNIFICANTLY
“We want to take what we have now and multiply it significantly – that is hard work. We want to build a company with scale, relevance and strength. We see interesting opportunities in the pipeline, and we expect to make significant progress,” he says.
“A key for us is innovation,” he adds. “I believe that is the secret to success. We are really only just beginning. There is so much room for success here if we do things right. We have done well until now, and that is because of the hard work of Dr Graham Woolford and Stephen Conway, and I hope we can grow aggressively.”
Across the Unisure group, 250 people work diligently to support clients. Headquartered in Randburg, South Africa; London, UK; and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Unisure takes an obsessive approach to customer service.
Sundelson highlights the company’s Bupa Global Mining and Energy Forum Health Insurance Plan, tailored to those operating in Africa’s resource sector, offering top-tier hospital access globally. Care is comprehensive, from a 24/7 support centre to advice and referrals to a network of contracted consulting specialists and trauma surgeons in support of in-house medical staff.
“We are a master broker for Bupa and the Global Mining and Energy Forum and that has shown really strong growth,” he says.
“For multinationals that have employees moving in and out of the UK, around Europe and Asia, and around Africa, the fact that we have health and life insurance that follows them means that we can offer complete peace of mind.”
This peace of mind is essential, and most of the time the principle behind why insurance of any kind is purchased. The knowledge that, should something unpleasant and unexpected occur, your needs and the needs of your family will be met is often invaluable. Yet, many in Africa still view insurance as a grudge purchase, fuelled by negative experience from low-cost organisations who simply cannot meet the expectations of a modern customer.
Unisure is different. The team is driven by an unending focus on quality, and the company enjoys partnerships with the best.
“Creating a collaborative and inclusive environment, with diverse talent and perspectives, is vital,” says Sundelson. “Our strategy is people first, driven by our vision and values. We back that with great products and strong distribution, and we are relentlessly focused on our stakeholders. We try to live and breathe that and, while there is a long journey ahead, I think we will get it right. We are not where we need to be yet, but if we can work in the right way then we will get to where we want to be.”
LOVED & TRUSTED
The Unisure vision is to be a loved and trusted global insurance provider, and so it invests in partnerships that can guarantee quality.
In Zambia, for example – the centre of a copper mining boom, home to 6% of the world’s reserves – Unisure works with SES (Specialty Emergency Services) Unisure to provide healthcare in two in-house clinics delivering first-class provisions.
“SES Unisure in Zambia has state-of-the-art out-patient facilities with excellent staff and brilliant services – people in Lusaka can make appointments and utilise those clinics. We also have a clinic in Kitwe, which is a primary care centre that makes a huge impact locally.
“I like the way SES is foundational and grounded,” Sundelson adds. “Showing a significant investment, with bricks and mortar on the ground, while having our license through which we can issue policies means our clients can come to the clinic for free. But if non-policy holders want to come to the clinic, they can pay for services. What I like about the model is that it gives strength and shows commitment. It does take time but if you work with the right people then it is excellent.”
24/7, 365
Quality service delivery is ubiquitous in the Unisure offering. Whether it’s healthcare in Africa and worldwide, individual life insurance in Asia, or group life in the UK and Europe, the company has worked hard to understand what clients expect and is keen to be seen as a partner rather than a cost. Sundelson stresses the spread of Unisure and its ability to support clients globally.
“In Africa and Asia, people want comfort should they have an emergency. We have a fantastic 24/7, 365 medical emergency team, Unisure Assist, that is able to conduct worldwide evacuations. We also have our own ambulances and paramedics, and we arrange air ambulances, but in other territories we have outsourced partners who can ensure patients are cared for correctly.”
He highlights the partnership with Scottish Friendly in the UK as groundbreaking, allowing Unisure to access a large market without quality compromise.
“We are the sole partner offering group life and employee benefits. There is income protection, accident and disability, critical illness etc,” he says. “It took a long time to get that partnership done but it is very important because it gives domestic UK companies comfort that we are written on A-grade paper and we are backed by a local player. We do reinsurance with a variety of specialist companies, but the business can offer brilliant rates, quick turnaround times, quality service, and we can offer bespoke underwriting because we are able to price very effectively and competitively. We hope that our rates are not able to be beaten.”
He adds that domestic group life is also on offer in the UK where Unisure does its own underwriting to give it the ability to look at interesting risks.
Across the African continent, the growth strategy centres around building partnerships and continuing with the successful rollout to date.
“We want to expand our healthcare into Africa, and we want to roll out the SES Unisure model elsewhere. There is a particular art to doing that and we believe we understand it well, Sundelson asserts. “Our partnership with Mediplus in Mozambique is strong and we are looking after thousands of lives. We provide access to healthcare for those people and there is fantastic expertise within that partnership. There is a whole process around dealing with claims and helping clients and our expertise is first class.”
Healthcare growth will come in Kenya, Nigeria, Mauritius, and Rwanda where Unisure’s presence is under-developed but where strong cooperation is in place to deliver unrivalled healthcare services for clients.
Through Umatter, a Unisure-developed structure, clients can choose various add on options to protect against family, wellness, and even dentistry risks whilst always having core or serious matters covered. World-class facilities are used to deliver services and this can be in-country or internationally.
But the distribution model that Unisure has built over the past decade will not change. The company doesn’t sell directly and distribution goes through intermediaries. The partnerships are vital and the intermediaries enjoy being able to sell what would not usually be available from traditional mass market players.
“The products they are able to offer are very unique and that makes for a positive environment,” says Sundelson.
THE BRIGHTEST PEOPLE
All of this advancement and development is helping to build a new, different, and wide-ranging platform for Unisure to grow from. None of it would be possible without the beating heart of the business and the industry – good people.
“We have a brilliant team. And going forward, we have to attract the best talent and work with the brightest people. We are busy recruiting, and we hope for some strong, new additions to join us soon. It’s a people-first industry,” states Sundelson.
By creating a clear and transparent vision, that is communicated through all corners of the business, Unisure’s team is united on its journey. Creating this cohesiveness has been a big part of Sundelson’s initial responsibility.
“We must be obsessive about our customers, and we have to make sure we are there for them when they need us the most. To do that, you have to have a great team with accountable leadership,” he says. “You must have brilliant ideas with fantastic products. We have all of that and I think that means we will go far.
“There are brilliant competitors out there and we have to make sure that we are able to be focused and hungry enough. We will succeed by obsessing over our clients while staying humble and grounded.”
As is always the case, experience counts for so much in the insurance industry. When combining the talent in Unisure, with a strong product range, and international reach, it makes for what Sundelson calls a “really good platform”.
“We have provided insurance to international bus drivers in Turkey, to security professionals sweeping for mines in North Africa, and a whole host of other unusual risks. It gives us a slightly different way of looking at things and that unique edge that makes such a difference.”
He is clear that the business has so much scope for growth and is proud to be a part of something different. But Unisure must continue to deliver in order to reach its potential.
“We have a unique offering,” he concludes. “We offer multinationals complete peace of mind. We have a very interesting mix of clients with health insurance for Africa, clinics in Zambia, administration in Mozambique, and international private medical insurance. We have a combination where we are making an impact in Africa and then an emerging business in the UK – it’s really exciting.”