FAQ

Should I join the Microinsurance Master accelerator?

You are a decision maker in microinsurance: either at an insurer, an insurance intermediary like a microfinance organisation, a funder or support organisation or a regulator. You have a thirst for learning about microinsurance and are motivated to make your microinsurance activities thrive. Your organisation is committed to making a difference in microinsurance and backs your application.

You prefer real experience over theoretical learning and are looking forward to working hard with your fellow participants to solve burning microinsurance issues in a real-world situation.

Ideally, you already have some years of experience working in the insurance or financial inclusion sector.

You may have been searching for this type of program for a while and are motivated to learn, contribute and apply your learning to your organisation.

We will have a mixture of 20 highly motivated executives just like you. It will be a diverse group from different countries, different types of organisations (insurers, intermediaries, funders and regulators) with a variety of experiences in the microinsurance sector.

You will not only learn a lot from the host, facilitators and coaches but also from your colleagues in the program.

Luckily not ;-). The success of microinsurance depends on the contributions of various players – from insurers to distributors who are well connected to the beneficiaries, as well as regulators and some funders or other support organisations.

Our aim is to have this variety of professionals in the program.

A very firm Yes! Insurers take the risk but the distribution partners connect the insurers to the microinsurance beneficiaries. Your understanding of your clients helps the insurer better respond to the prevailing needs. During the immersion, you will visit microfinance institutions and other inclusive financial service providers. We will assign you and your team with a mentor who is experienced in working with (or for) MFIs to ensure that you will adapt the lessons from the immersion to the specifics of your organisation.

Yes! As an insurance supervisor, you set the boundaries for the market and define the rules that insurers need to follow. Being ahead of the market is thus key to help the industry develop appropriate insurance solutions and spur innovation. The focus of the immersion is on practitioners but the regulators who have joined past accelerators have testified how the program has helped them gain a better understanding of the practitioners' perspective and how regulators can be a key enabler to help them succeed in microinsurance.

During the immersion, we will learn how insurance supervisors regulate the market, providing a good reference to work from with your mentor when you are back home.

Probably not. The aim for Microinsurance Master is to be a catalyst for change. We work with leaders of organisations with a strong mandate to accelerate their microinsurance activities. As an individual, you are unlikely to have a mandate or an appropriate role to act on your learnings. The investment required to join the program is also not intended to be met by individuals.

We have made notable exceptions for individuals who are developing startups or will soon have a decision-making role in microinsurance. If that applies to you, let us know and we can explore the options.

Yes. Microinsurance Master will be instrumental in giving you a head start in the industry. You will learn the latest insights from industry leaders. The program will inspire and strengthen you in your microinsurance activities.

However, because we are seeking a diverse group of participants with different levels of expertise, there are only a few places reserved for new entrants. Apply now to avoid missing out.

You will gain lots of valuable insight from attending the program. It will introduce you to the experiences of leading microinsurance organisations and experts. How better could we support you in shaping your vision and strategy for microinsurance?

Note that we only have a few places for market entrants, so be sure to apply now to avoid disappointment.

The Microinsurance Master accelerator program is typically open for individuals that fit two profiles:

  1. The leader of the organisation, typically the CEO, and/or
  2. The microinsurance champion, who leads the microinsurance activities.

The program has proven to be most successful for organisations who sign up both their leader and champion as this creates a common understanding and alignment in vision for the journey ahead.

Several organisations have enrolled their potential or future champion and used the program to see if the person is the right fit for the role. We indeed believe this is a great way to test the waters.

The program

Above all, the program will inspire and strengthen you to level up your microinsurance activities while also challenging your thinking about microinsurance.

You will focus on setting the right ambition with microinsurance (exploring your 'why') and understanding more about client-centric product development.

Beyond learning from our host and other participants, you will become acquainted with tools and frameworks that will be instrumental in developing your activities. After the immersion, you and your team will be working with a seasoned mentor to tailor the lessons from the first stage of the program to the specifics of your market and organisation.

During the immersion, you will gain an insider perspective of the host organisation, its distribution partners and its clients.

You will learn about the vision, strategy, and lessons learnt, all the way from the boardroom to the practical implementation in the sales and claims departments.

We will talk to the people who are on the job so that there is little left uncovered by the time we return home.

During the two-week immersion, we will venture out of the office as frequently as possible to experience and gain insight from real-world practice.

We will visit clients, distributors and the back office of our host whenever it's relevant to the subject we're discussing.

The immersion will be moderated by Bert Opdebeeck, designer of the Microinsurance Master program together with a seasoned co-facilitator: usually one of our alumni, who will help your coach to develop a microinsurance solution that you will pitch to the host organisation on the last day of the immersion.

There will also be timely interventions from the leadership and staff of the host, partners, the insurance supervisor and external experts (by video) wherever applicable.

Most likely, yes. By necessity, the program is quite tough and challenging. That's partly why it's so transformative.

There will be three evening activities and, alongside your colleagues, you will work on an assignment for the host organisation that is deliverable by the end of the program.

Time will likely be available to work on this assignment during class hours but you will almost certainly have some further homework during some evenings and over the weekend.

We will spend the day with microinsurance customers on Saturday to gain a better understanding of the people we want to serve. On Sunday we will have some time out for an excursion.

We'll have some fun…and work…and hopefully have fun while working.

The three months of mentoring in Microinsurance Master is scheduled immediately after the immersion to help you translate your key takeaways to the context of your organisation and get support in advancing your activities.

A seasoned microinsurance leader will be available for a minimum of eight calls with you and your team over the three months.

During the immersion, you will draft a work plan that you will further elaborate on and kickstart at your organisation, with the support of your mentor.

We propose to schedule at least a weekly call at first, to follow-up on your progress and to support your development.

Microinsurance Master works with a talented pool of experienced mentors. All mentors have been selected for their expertise in domains ranging from microinsurance strategy development to customer-centric product design, regulation and claims-handling.

Our mentors have served as (or worked with) leaders of organisations like yours and are well-placed to help you execute the boldest of plans. You will be assigned the mentor that best meets your requirements.

Absolutely. If there is more work you would like to tackle with your mentor, we can extend the collaboration (extra fees are incurred).

The three months of mentoring starts immediately after the immersion – for maximum benefit.

From experience, unless the mentoring is scheduled immediately after the immersion, many of the key takeaways from the program are not implemented successfully.

No, the program includes a minimum of eight mentoring calls.

We strongly encourage you to maximise what you can get out of this support. If you want your mentor to visit your organisation or extend the exchange, it can be accommodated for an extra fee.

Microinsurance Master runs one accelerator per year with the host organisations changing. So, leave us your contact details if you want to stay informed about future editions.

We alternate the accelerator's immersion stage between Africa and Asia. To date, we have set up shop in the Philippines, Kenya and South Africa.

No – but that's a good thing!

Accreditation may make sense for some institutions delivering a formal and fixed curriculum. But this is ultimately limiting, in our opinion.

Microinsurance Master is designed from the ground up to help enterprising individuals learn the latest insights from like-minded leaders and champions. It is inherently flexible, which gives us room to make constant improvements.

We provide certificates to our Masters and celebrate progress but we prefer an informal approach and don't believe in giving formal tests or grades, which are a standard part of an accreditation process.

For us, the real test comes after the program is completed – in the progress that you will make for your organisation and the low-income communities you serve.

Unfortunately, not (yet). The accelerator is open for all leaders of microinsurance organisations, irrespective of the country they operate in, but a working-level of English is necessary and a more profound knowledge of the language is required to fully benefit from the program.

The application process

There are three simple steps to enrol in the program:

  1. Apply: to reserve a seat (only 20 available).
  2. Get accepted: We will interview you to review:
    • Your profile
    • The profile of your organisation
    • Your motivations for applying
    • Your potential group fit
    • Any conflict of interests with the host organisation (the host is serious about sharing insights and we want to make sure their information will be treated in an appropriate manner).
  3. Payment: to confirm your enrolment

Please note that places will be awarded on a first come first serve basis. We will choose a diverse group, so the sooner you apply the better your chance of approval.

When reviewing your application, we will consider the following:

  • Your motivation: are you a decision-maker who has been searching for this type of program for a while and are motivated to learn, contribute and apply your learning to your home organisation?
  • Your personal profile: how can you contribute to the advancement of microinsurance?
  • Your organisation's profile: how can your organisation contribute to the advancement of microinsurance?
  • Your level of English: do you have a profound understanding of English to benefit and contribute to the program?
  • Potential conflict of interest: would your presence discourage the host organisation from actively sharing their information?
  • Your "fit" with the existing group: we seek to have different industry players represented as a variety of expertise and experience has proven to work best.

Providing you are approved, places will be awarded on a first come first serve basis.

Places will be awarded on a first-come first-serve basis. We will choose a diverse group, so the sooner you apply the better your chance of approval.

The sooner you apply, the sooner we can review your application and assess the various factors we consider with applicants (see above). You can expect a confirmation within three business days.

Yes – with colleagues participating, it will leverage the investment of your organisation because you can discuss issues based on a shared frame of reference. It will also strengthen the opportunity to build upon your insights when you return to work.

Please contact us to discuss a potential group discount if multiple leaders from the same workplace are planning to apply.

The investment to join the accelerator

The investment for joining the accelerator is USD 11,950. It is a serious investment to make for your microinsurance activities to thrive.

The investment includes all tuition, training materials, field trips, breakfast, lunch and accommodation in a spacious 4-star hotel room in the host city for two weeks – plus a minimum of eight mentoring sessions over three months by industry leaders.

The fee includes all tuition, training materials, field trips, breakfast, lunch and two weeks of accommodation in a 4-star hotel, as well as fun stuff like weekend trips and some evening events. It also includes a minimum of eight tailored mentoring sessions once you're back home.

The fee does not include your travel expenses, such as flight, travel/medical insurance, entry visa and leisure expenses.

Microinsurance Master is undoubtedly a serious investment for the future. It will provide a crucial foundation for your microinsurance activities to thrive in the years ahead.

Since 2018, participants have given the program a 98% recommendation rating and praise the return on investment.

The accelerator includes a two-week immersion in an overseas host city and three months of mentoring – as well as lifelong access to our community of changemakers to extend your learning and share insights and experiences.

You'll get access to the latest industry insights and experience a unique combination of hands-on learning and guidance by microinsurance mentors who are considered experts in the field. Past masters take great value from the rich and varied community of changemakers as they prepare their ongoing microinsurance activities.

Clearly, all this involves significant costs for us and an investment on your part.

However, by applying the insights from the accelerator to your microinsurance practice, the combined results will have considerably more impact than a single company visit or a consulting assignment alone can provide.

The return on investment is consistently praised by participants. Contact us if you require further proof.

If you're the right "fit" for Microinsurance Master, we don't want you to fail to apply for the accelerator because of financial constraints.

For certain organisations that cannot pay the full investment upfront, a payment plan may be available or we may be able to discuss alternative funding options.

We don't provide scholarships but we will be happy to support you in finding the finances through your funders or other donors.

If you're unable to meet the costs of the accelerator program and no alternative funding options present themselves, please check out some other ways to thrive in microinsurance.