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23 September 2021 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied
Frans Koning recently obtained a CERA accredited enterprise risk management (ERM) qualification from the Actuarial Society of South Africa.

“If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.”

“During and after planning, ensure that you identify all risks, since it would be the risks that you did not identify that might sink you.” 

These are two of the beliefs of Frans Koning, Senior Lecturer and Head of the Department of Mathematical Statistics and Actuarial Science at the University of the Free State (UFS), whose outputs in life – whether as lecturer or risk manager – are about planning. 

Koning, a qualified actuary with an interest in corporate governance, has been investing in his growth and development for the past three years by enrolling and obtaining an enterprise risk management (ERM) qualification from the Actuarial Society of South Africa, which is a member of the CERA Global Association (CGA). Having a Chartered Enterprise Risk Actuary (CERA) credential means that he worked through a world-class curriculum that is recognised globally and transferable internationally. This qualification gives professionals greater exposure to the C-suite and leadership, while empowering them to become a more highly valued resource for a company. 

Pulling out all the stops

CGA describes itself as a body that provides accredited risk professionals with strong ERM knowledge to drive better business decisions in finance and insurance. It associates characteristics such as professionalism, ethics and trust, impeccable standards and integrity with students who have obtained the CERA credential. “These professionals can communicate ideas effectively with leadership and is qualified to play varying roles within an organisation, from risk manager to chief risk officer and more,” it states. 

He had to pull out all the stops to obtain this qualification. “This was about 400 hours of study; and absolutely worth it. Since it was very interesting, I did not consider it hard work,” says Koning, who believes in a positive outlook on life. “I have never seen a successful pessimist,” he says. 

This qualification enables him to add extra value in the classroom, teaching Risk Management. Discussing hard questions in class, linking it to practice, i.e., modelling COVID-19 and discussing its effect on life insurance, is what he loves about this profession. He misses student interaction in the classroom, saying that interaction and discussions are not the same with a Blackboard/Teams/Zoom meeting.

A multitude of opportunities 

Koning, who has been with the university since 2003, believes his motivation of students makes a difference in their lives. “Teaching students and seeing them grow into actuaries and chief executive officers of companies gives me great satisfaction,” he states.

He lectures Life Contingencies, which is about calculating life insurance premiums and reserves, as well as Asset and Liability Management, which teaches students about managing the liabilities arising from selling insurance and managing the assets backing these. 

Teaching students and seeing them grow into actuaries and chief executive officers of companies gives me great satisfaction. – Frans Koning

 

As an independent non-executive director (NED) at African Unity Life (Ltd), he also chairs the risk committee and serves as a member of the audit committee. Koning is of the opinion that this qualification will be useful in more board positions than NED. This is but one of his options. According to him, there are a multitude of opportunities in the private sector, as all entities manage risk.

“I also intend to do some research in the space of enterprise risk management, something which I enjoy,” he adds. 

News Archive

Health Sciences’ students graduate
2008-11-29

Students in medicine honoured 

 A number of students received prizes for their achievements at this year’s graduation ceremony of the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of the Free State (UFS), held on the Main Campus in Bloemfontein. Here are, from the left: Dr Erika Kleynhans, who received the Eli Lilly Prize for the student with the best achievement in Psychiatry in all the years of study, dr Ernst Möller, who received the PPS Insurance Company Award for best postgraduate student in Family Medicine, and dr Aletta van Tonder, Dux student who received a total of nine prizes.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

  

 Medical students pass their studies with cum laude

 Degrees were awarded today to 213 students from the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Faculty of Health Sciences during the faculty's graduation held today on the Main Campus in Bloemfontein. Four of the students who passed their studies with cum laude are, from the left, front: Dr Ida Pretorius, and Dr Deidré van Wyk; back: Dr Aletta van Tonder, Dux student who received a total of nine awards, and Dr Liesel Schärf, who received the Theo Arndt Medal for best undergraduate student in Urology during the clinical years and the Smith & Nephew Prize for best undergraduate student in Orthopaedics. All four students received the MB.Ch.B. degree.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

   

Health Sciences’ students graduate 
 The Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of the Free State (UFS) today held their graduation ceremony on the Main Campus in Bloemfontein. Some of the top achievers who received their MB.Ch.B. degrees were, from the left: Dr Liesel Schärf, who received the Theo Arndt Medal for best undergraduate student in Urology during the clinical years and the Smith & Nephew Prize for best undergraduate student in Orthopaedics, Dr Sarah Barrett, who received the SA Academy Prize for best final-year student in Family Medicine, Dr Lelethu Bango, best project in Family Medicine, and Dr Deidré van Wyk, who passed the degree Cum Laude.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

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