Lesley Ndlovu - African Risk Capacity (Climate Risk Insurance in Africa)

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Lindelwe Lesley Ndlovu is the CEO of the African Risk Capacity ‘‘ARC’’ Ltd. ARC Ltd is a specialist insurance company that provides parametric insurance coverage to African countries against extreme weather events and natural disasters. Prior to ARC, Lesley worked with AXA Group, AXIS Capital, and Deloitte in various senior management roles. Lesley is a graduate of Christ Church, University of Oxford in England and at the Institut Européen d’Administration des Affaires (INSEAD) in France. Lesley sits on the Board of Directors of the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative for the Principles of Sustainable Insurance, and the Weather Risk Management Association, and he is a Non-Executive Director of PULA. He is a CFA charter holder, a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England & Wales, and a member of the Institute of Directors. 

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Topics discussed:

• Lesley’s journey from Zimbabwe, to working in Bermuda, London, Paris, and Singapore in the Hedge Fund and Reinsurance sector before moving back to Africa.

• Introduction of the African Risk Capacity and ARC’s two entities: African Risk Capacity Agency and ARC Limited (Ltd).

• Tools: Parametric Insurance, Catastrophe (Insurance-Linked) Bonds, Risk Pooling, Green Bonds, and Climate Adaptation Finance.

• ARC’s Country Engagement Process.

• Four Phases of ARC Capacity Building Programme.

• ARC’s Extreme Climate Facility (XCF).

• ARC Replica addressing the Humanitarian Funding Gap.

• ARC’s Outbreaks and Epidemics (O&E) Programme.

• ARC’s Impact and Risk Pools.

• ARC’s Gender Strategy with Disaster Risk Management.

• ARC Ltd 2020 Annual Report and 2025 (Inclusive) Growth Strategy.

• Lesley’s advice to Institutional Investors and Startups interested in Climate Risk Insurance in Africa.

Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as investment advice. The interview took place on 11th October 2021.