Jan 5 , 2020

Being that it is an industry at the nexus of controlling risk and ensuring stability, the insurance industry seems like a staid sector. That being said, Fortune wondered what makes insurance CEOs tick. Fortune had an impromptu conversation with 16 of the 18 leading minds of the industry to learn more about them.


Yohannes Zewdie, CEO of Abay Insurance

Yohannes Zewdie, 53 years old, is a management graduate of Addis Abeba University (AAU). He also obtained his master’s degree in management from the same university. Before joining Abay Insurance a year ago, he worked at Ethiopian Insurance Corporation for more than 27 years under different capacities. He was recently appointed as the CEO of Abay Insurance, which is one of the younger upstart insurers.

What is your biggest fear?

What was the brand of your first ever mobile phone?



Ericsson, which is also called "Duster"

Which animal do you hate the most?


Which social media platform do you use most frequently?

Any of them, I am like an omnivorous user



What bill surprised you the most? What was it for and what was the cost?

I don’t recall


How long do you spend on your phone?


About an hour a day

Which foreign meal/food did you not like after tasting it?

Mauritius chicken

Where do you want to go on earth before you die?

Australia - it has amazing wildlife and nature



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