Chief Commercial Officer (CCO).
We seek to recruit a qualified self-driven and results-oriented individual to fill the position of Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). The role holder will report to the Chief Executive Officer & Principal Officer.
The role
The role holder will report to the Chief Executive Officer & Principal Officer and will be responsible for developing and executing the business development strategy and goals in line with the company strategy. The role holder will provide leadership and direction to and coordinate all activities of the Sales, Marketing, Communications and Customer Service functions in accordance with the set business objectives. The role holder will also be responsible for driving the company’s market share growth agenda and have a deeper understanding of the insurance industry, regulatory requirements & competitive market dynamics
Key Reporting Relationships
Internal Reporting Lines | External Stakeholder Engagement |
Direct Reports: Head of Sales, Head of Marketing, Communications & Customer Service | Banks, Brokers, Saccos, Agents |
Indirect Reports: Sales, Business Development, and Marketing, Communication & Customer Service teams | Industry Associations |
Key Roles & Responsibilities
- Business Growth & Revenue Generation
- Develop and execute short and long-term commercial strategy to that will drive compelling revenue growth and profitability.
- Proactively identify commercial opportunities, partnerships and market segments for expansion.
- Develop commercial models and drive technology optimization to increase revenue and growth
- Sales & Distribution Strategy
- Oversee sales targets and key account management to ensure business growth.
- Drive product innovation and align offerings with customer needs.
- Develop and strengthen relationships with brokers, agents, and corporate clients.
- Expand digital and direct sales channels for enhanced accessibility and market penetration.
- Marketing, Customer Experience and Retention
- Oversee the development and implementation of a brand positioning strategy to enhance market presence.
- Oversee marketing campaigns, digital marketing efforts and customer engagement initiatives
- Develop customer-centric strategies to improve retention and cross-selling opportunities
- Ensure effective market research and competitor analysis to refine commercial strategies.
- Implement customer feedback mechanisms to drive continuous improvement and meaningful customer engagements
- Leadership & Stakeholder Management
- Work closely with the executive team and the Board of Directors to align commercial strategies with overall business goals.
- Provide regular updates and reports to the executive team and board of directors regarding commercial performance, market trends and strategic initiatives
- Lead, guide and oversee all the Commercial activities which include Business Development, Sales, Marketing and Customer Service in order to achieve set targets
- Ensure seamless coordination between sales, marketing, customer service, underwriting and claims teams for an enhanced customer journey.
- Represent the company in industry forums, strategic partnerships and negotiations.
- Maintain strong relationships with regulatory bodies, corporate clients and key stakeholders.
Qualifications and Competencies
- Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Sales or a related discipline from a recognized university
- Master’s degree in a business related field (e.g., MBA, Strategic Management) will be an added advantage.
- Professional certification (e.g., AIIK, ACII)
- Active membership in a recognized professional body (e.g., CIM, MSK) or related body
- Relevant work experience of not less than ten (10) years, with at least five (5) years served in senior leadership in a related role in insurance or financial services sector.
- Experience in all facets of selling lifecycle including business development, sales, marketing, product management and channel development.
- Should be a strategic thinker with demonstrated skills, knowledge & experience in the design and execution of high-impact commercial strategies.
- Should have strong business acumen, sound knowledge of the insurance regulatory framework and experience in stakeholder management
- Should have a strong understanding and experience in digital marketing, branding, customer engagement and leveraging analytics for marketing intelligence and performance improvement
- Should have experience in negotiating with senior executives, building & leading cross-functional, efficient and dynamic teams in highly competitive environments
- Should have high level of integrity and understanding of corporate governance best practices
Chief Risk Officer (CRO)
We seek to recruit a qualified self-driven and results-oriented individual to fill the position of Chief Risk Officer (CRO). The role holder will report to the Chief Executive Officer & Principal Officer.
The role
The Chief Risk Officer (CRO) is responsible for developing and overseeing the company’s risk management framework, compliance policies and governance structures to ensure regulatory adherence and financial stability. The role holder will ensure that all operational, financial, market, underwriting and regulatory risks are effectively identified, assessed and mitigated to safeguard the company\’s assets, reputation and long-term sustainability.
Key Reporting Relationships
Internal Reporting Lines | External Stakeholder Engagement |
Direct Reports: Head of Risk & Compliance
|
Actuaries, External auditors,
Re-insurance bodies
|
Indirect Reports: | Industry Associations |
Key Roles & Responsibilities
A. Risk Management Strategy & Framework
- Oversee and develop a comprehensive process for identifying, assessing, monitoring, managing and reporting business risks that could interrupt business operations.
- Develop and implement sound enterprise risk management (ERM) framework across all levels of the business in line with insurance industry best practices
- Report on known and emerging risks affecting the business to the executive and Board of Directors
- Align risk management strategies with business objectives and regulatory requirements.
- Lead the development of risk appetite statements and risk tolerance limits.
B. Regulatory & Compliance Oversight
- Ensure compliance with insurance regulatory requirements
- Maintain strong relationships with regulatory bodies, auditors, and external stakeholders.
- Oversee governance, ethics, and compliance programs across the organization.
- Monitor changes in regulatory frameworks and advise the Board and Executive team on necessary adaptations.
C. Operational Risk Management
- Identify and mitigate market, credit and liquidity risks affecting investment portfolios.
- Work closely with finance team to assess capital adequacy and solvency ratios.
- Ensure reinsurance strategies align with risk tolerance and financial goals of the business
- Conduct stress testing and scenario analysis to measure financial resilience.
- Oversee operational risk controls to prevent fraud, data breaches and business disruptions.
- Ensure robust cyber security, IT risk and data privacy frameworks are in place.
- Conduct risk assessments for new insurance products, services and partnerships.
- Develop business continuity plans (BCP) and disaster recovery strategies.
- Collaborate with Underwriting, Claims and Actuarial teams to manage technical risks.
- Ensure loss ratios, pricing models and underwriting policies align with the company’s risk appetite.
- Establish fraud detection measures in claims processing and policy issuance.
D. Leadership & Stakeholder Management
- Provide strategic guidance to the CEO, Risk Committees and the Board on enterprise risks.
- Lead and develop the risk management and compliance team.
- Work closely with internal audit, legal and finance teams to ensure strong risk governance.
- Foster a risk-aware culture through training and awareness programs across the company.
Qualifications and Competencies
- Bachelor’s degree in Risk Management, Finance, Actuarial Science, Business Administration or a related discipline from a recognized university
- Master’s degree in a business related field will be an added advantage.
- Professional certifications e.g. FRM (Financial Risk Manager), PRM (Professional Risk Manager), CFA, CPA, or CERA (Certified Enterprise Risk Analyst) are highly desirable
- Membership to a professional body
- Relevant work experience of not less than ten (10) years, with at least five (5) years served in senior leadership in a similar role in insurance or financial services sector.
- Deep and broad knowledge in risk management relevant to the breadth of the company’s operations anchored on a foundation of insurance risk and/or actuarial experience and including but not limited to underwriting, insurance, reinsurance, regulatory and ERM
- Deep knowledge of solvency requirements, underwriting principles, financial risk modelling, stress testing and analytics
- Strong understanding of the regulatory landscape more broadly with the ability to shape thinking and advise across the organization
- Broad awareness of the global political, economic and social factors that could influence/ impact the organization and its clients
- Must be highly numerate, able to frame the issues, take decisions, navigate the environment and add value to the organization
- Should have high level of integrity and understanding of corporate governance best practices
- Ability to assess and mitigate market, credit, and liquidity risks.
- Ability to engage with C-level executives, regulators and the Board.
Chief Operating Officer (COO)
JOB ADVERTISEMENT
We seek to recruit a qualified self-driven and results-oriented individual to fill the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO). The role holder will report to the Chief Executive Officer & Principal Officer.
The role
The role holder will be responsible for the company’s operational functions to ensure process optimization, efficient claims management, underwriting efficiency & regulatory compliances. The COO role will ensure that the operational functions support business growth, business efficiencies, enhance customer experience, align with industry regulations and best practices, and help achieve the business’s strategic goals.
Key Reporting Relationships
Internal Reporting Lines | External Stakeholder Engagement |
Direct Reports: Head of Claims, , Head of Human Resources, Head of ICT and Head of Underwriting
|
Brokers, Saccos, Agents, Auditors |
Indirect Reports: Claims, HR, ICT and Underwriting teams | Industry Associations |
Key Roles & Responsibilities
- Strategy & Operational Business Efficiency
- Provide the Board of Directors and management with key technical and professional advice with regard to the business strategy execution
- Develop and implement operational strategies to optimize performance and increase efficiency.
- Oversee the claims, underwriting, ICT and human resource teams
- Define business processes to achieve optimum competitive positioning and standards of operation
- Put in place standards for interdepartmental service level agreements that will improve organizational efficiency
- Set and take corrective action against significant deviations from the set business strategies and standards.
- Drive the automation and digital transformation agenda of core business functions
- Continuously improve workflow efficiency, productivity and cost-effectiveness.
- Perform budgetary control of operational functions.
- Provide effective leadership and direction to the various departmental heads
- Claims & Underwriting Management
- Ensure timely, accurate and fair claims processing to enhance customer satisfaction.
- Monitor underwriting performance and ensure adherence to risk management policies.
- Develop and enforce fraud detection and prevention measures in claims and underwriting.
- Monitor service-level agreements (SLAs) and key customer experience metrics.
- Leadership & Stakeholder Management
- Provide strategic leadership and operational direction to teams across claims, underwriting, IT, and human resources
- Work closely with the CEO and other executives to align operations with the business goals and ensure multi-channel service delivery through the digital, call centres and branch operations
- Promote a culture of excellence and accountability within the organization
- Promote the company’s values and vision
- Build relevant departmental capacity to deliver on strategy by leading, guiding, directing and evaluating the work of the team
- Oversee workforce planning and development to ensure a high-performance culture.
- Conduct regular team meetings and training sessions to enhance skills to improve operational efficiency.
Qualifications and Competencies
- Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or a related discipline from a recognized university
- Master’s degree in a business related field will be an added advantage.
- Professional certification (e.g., AIIK, ACII)
- Relevant work experience of not less than ten (10) years, with at least five (5) years served in senior leadership in a similar role in insurance or financial services sector.
- Should have strong working knowledge and experience in the insurance industry including operations, claims processes, underwriting policies and market trends
- Should have the ability to translate business goals into operational strategies and execution
- Strong focus on improving service delivery.
- Strong expertise in streamlining processes and improving efficiency.
- Experience in operational management, process improvement and workflow optimization
- Should have sound financial acumen and budgeting skills
- Strong project management and change management skills
- Should have high level of integrity and understanding of corporate governance best practices
Submit Your Application
If you qualify for the above advertised role, kindly send us a detailed CV and Application Letter clearly demonstrating your fit as per the roles & responsibilities and the person specifications (academic/professional qualifications, experience, skills & attributes) listed above.
Kindly send your application documents to human.resource@directline.co.ke to reach us on or before 5.00pm Friday, 4th July 2025.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted