Catherine Lesetedi is an industry professional and business leader with over 30 years’ experience in the insurance industry having cut her teeth in the industry at a young age.
Ms. Lesetedi graduated with a BA in Statistics and Demography from the University of Botswana in 1991, she worked briefly at Central Statistics Office (now Statistics Botswana) before joining the BIHL Group in June 1992. Within the BIHL Group she has held various positions, including Assistant Manager and Divisional Manager before joining AON Botswana as a Senior Accounts Executive in October 2004 was later promoted to the position of General Manager, Life and Employee Benefits Division.
In 2007, she returned to the BIHL Group and held the position of Head of Corporate and High Value Broker Business within Botswana Life Insurance Limited until March 2010 when she was appointed Acting CEO of the company with a substantive appointment in July of the same year. Catherine was subsequently appointed to her current position of Group CEO in March 2016.
Catherine holds various industry and management and executive leadership qualifications through leading institutions, she is an Associate of the Insurance Institute of South Africa (AIISA). She also serves on various boards locally and in the region.
Amongst many accolades and awards she has been bestowed with over the years, she has had the privilege to be honoured twice with the prestigious Africa Investor (Ai) Capital Markets and Index Series Awards as the “Ai100 CEO of the Year” in 2016 and 2018 respectively.
Her dominant leadership style is that of coaching for results, and this is because she firmly believes that knowledge is power BUT only when its shared and its true power unleashed to create and solve problems to improve livelihoods.
Catherine describes herself as a lifelong student, learning from everyone, young and old, educated and not, the environment; drawing inspiration from athletes especially those who pursue extreme sports. In her view the greatest victories are won in the mind, therein lie our capacity to achieve the impossible; if we practice long enough possibilities are boundless.
Catherine describes herself as an introvert who values and enjoys her private time and space.
She loves travelling with her family and is an aspiring coffee and wine connoisseur; she believes that one must have one or two healthy addictions to live life to the fullest!! It’s hard to have balance so find a passion or two she says!