The Professional Service Departments, including IT, HR, Legal, Finance, Marketing, and Operations, function as the central administrative hub for the Group’s portfolio.
These departments provide the essential infrastructure that allows our companies to deliver specialized insurance and reinsurance brokerage, underwriting, and claims administration services.
Saskia Stemmett
Apart from being the Professional Services Manager, Saskia also heads up the Group’s Legal and Compliance divisions.
After graduating from the University of Cape Town in 2006 with BCOM and LLB degrees, Saskia completed her legal articles and was admitted as an Attorney of the Cape of Good Hope in 2008.
She joined the broking division of DMKC Insurance Brokers before taking on the responsibility for Legal and Compliance.
Saskia is also involved in Company Secretarial, risk and Governance for the Group.
Husain Essa
Husain is the financial and operational backbone of the business across its portfolio of companies.
After completing his schooling at Maritzburg College, Husain built his career within the financial services and insurance environment, gaining extensive experience in group finance, reporting, and financial governance.
He plays a key role in ensuring financial consistency, control, and insight across the Group, working closely with leadership teams to support sustainable growth, compliance, and informed decision-making.
Dolores Rossouw
Dolores maintains the operational framework that enables consistency and efficiency across all brands.
She holds a B Com in Accounting from the University of South Africa and completed CIMA training through the CharterQuest Financial Training Institute.
Based in Durban, Dolores has been with firstEquity since 2011 and brings extensive experience in operations and administration, with a strong focus on process alignment and continuous improvement across the Group.
Dane Leppens
Dane’s depth of experience in information technology makes him a key contributor to the systems and platforms that underpin the business.
His career has been focused on technology within financial services, where he has worked extensively with business systems, data, and digital tools that enable operational efficiency and informed decision-making.
Dane works closely with teams across the Group to ensure technology remains reliable, secure, and aligned with evolving business and regulatory requirements.
Bronwyn Buijs
Bronwyn brings extensive experience in people management, employment relations, and organisational development, with a strong focus on fairness, collaboration, and compliance.
She works closely with leadership teams to foster a positive, inclusive workplace culture and to support employee wellbeing and long-term organisational growth.
Pippa Coote
With 26 years of experience in Sales and Marketing within the Travel, Tourism and Hospitality sector, Pippa brings broad experience across design, content creation, digital and social media, with a strong focus on clear communication and consistent brand presentation.
Working closely with teams across the Group, Pippa drives initiatives that strengthen brand alignment, engagement, visibility and growth.
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