Econorisk is fast becoming one of South Africa’s leading independent short term insurance brokerages, with a national footprint and a passion for personal service and individual advice being key to its success. One of the people behind the business is none other than former South African bowler, Brett Schultz.  

Brett, your cricket career was brought to an abrupt end through injury. Describe the transition from sport to business?  

“I became involved in the financial services industry while playing cricket, as I wanted to diversify my interests as well as have something to fall back on after my playing days were over. This proved to be the right decision and the exposure was good business grounding for me. I quickly learnt that a successful business is all about excellence in service delivery through the right product and relevant pricing. When my cricket career was over, I returned to the financial services industry, joining Econorisk in 2003.”  

The business is going from strength to strength. To what do you attribute Econorisk’s success?  

“You need to be passionate about what you do, as it is infectious and it affects the people around you. Whether it’s your team mates, colleagues or clients, your attitude has an enormous impact on the overall outcome. In cricket, we expect to be judged on the results we deliver; the same goes for business. At Econorisk we understand that having a passion for producing results is essential.   We’re committed to delivering an all-round service, getting to know our clients and their individual short-term insurance needs, and being in the best position to provide them with the right solutions to alleviate risk.”  

Econorisk believes in doing business the traditional way with relationships and personal service…  

“Rob Sylvester founded the business together with Econometrix in 2001 with a mission to provide what clients wanted, but were not getting – a professional, personal service. It is this philosophy that drives our business. We believe in conducting business the traditional way, with relationships and personal service at the top of our priority list. By getting to know our clients, we are able to provide informed advice and the most suitable products tailored to their individual needs. This, coupled with our strong industry relationships with almost all Insurers and Underwriting Managers, enables us to deliver a comprehensive service which continually looks after our clients’ ever-changing risk profiles.”  

You have a wealth of experienced specialists at Econorisk, with some recent key appointments and substantial investment in the business. Tell us more about this?  

“Since its inception, the business has grown as a brand with a core staff compliment of insurance specialists. In 2011 Cyan Capital invested into Econorisk which provided the capacity to bring in industry leader Guy Scott as CEO and operations specialist John Rivers-Moore as COO. These key appointments have in turn attracted highly skilled employees to fill critical positions. In addition to moving into a new head office in Rivonia in Johannesburg, Econorisk has also in the past year opened offices in Umhlanga Ridge, Durban and Woodstock, Cape Town. Econorisk now has the platform for extensive growth through both employment and acquisition of the required expertise to be able to become a market leader.”  

You’ve not forgotten your sporting roots. Econorisk is actively involved in supporting a number of charitable organisations, including dressage competitor and Paralympic hopeful, Nicole Sanders….  

“With limited access to training and insufficient funds, Nicole was running out of time to make her dream of competing in the 2016 Paralympic Games come true. The commitment and dedication that Nicole has shown is remarkable, even when all the odds seemed stacked against her. This sort of passion and drive is in keeping with our own ethos, so we set about raising funds for Nicole to help keep her Paralympic dream alive. We are extremely proud of Nicole and her determination.”  

There are many comparisons drawn between business and sport. As a professional sportsman turned businessman, where do you see these similarities?  

“In business, as with sport, it is essential to keep an ear to the ground and an eye on your competitors, assessing their strengths and weaknesses, then working as a team to achieve a better result for your clients and your stakeholders. This, coupled with a passion to be your best, will help keep you ahead of the game.”  

Tel: 0861 ECRISK (327475)

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