Tawanda Dzinomwa

Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd
Finance Reinsurance/
Financial Accounting Technical

Bachelor Student in Accounting CA, Economics/Finance and Accounting
Namibia University of Science and Technology
February 01 - March 17, 2020

 
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At work

During my time at Swiss Re, I had the privilege of working with an extremely knowledgeable, experienced but also very humble and down to earth mentor. I was immediately struck by how patient he was with me in taking his time to explain the complex structures, business strategies, history and different business units that made up the company as well as introducing me to my team which made my integration into the company fairly easy. The company culture of encouraging networking between colleagues in different teams, regardless of hierarchical position allowed me to delve into the minds of so many different, intelligent people and gain a deeper understanding of different roles and functions within the organisation in a very personal manner. The balance between continuous professional development offered through the company’s trainings and challenging but manageable tasks made my workplace an environment where I was constantly learning about reinsurance and the various components that must be analysed to enable the writing profitable business. As a new intern, I had many questions and the willingness of my team and others in the company to answer them was so influential in helping me adapt to the company. The opportunity I had to participate in several high-level meetings regarding projects, solutions and reports really humbled me and gave me a look into the different ways business issues can be solved through collaboration as well as how experienced individuals dissect and analyse problems. Overall working within finance reinsurance I learned much more than I could have ever expected to in my time, the importance of reinsurance on a global scale, the importance of historical data in modeling as well as how risk is quantified through probability models are among the many things I learned. The experience of working in one of the most beautiful buildings in Zurich and the opportunity to learn and contribute to such a reputable organization is one that few have the chance to. I certainly consider myself extremely fortunate for this.

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My Swiss Host Family

I could not possibly have had a better host family in my time in Switzerland. From the outset my family went out of their way to ensure that I was comfortable and felt very much at home, when we arrived home for the first time I was welcomed to my room with chocolates and immediately they put my fears about living as a guest in their house to bed with they’re kindness and humour. My host family were so helpful in getting me to acclimatise to the transport system, culture, people and expectations at work. Knowing I was keen to travel and make use of my GA, leading up to most weekends they would discuss with me the best destinations, how to get there and even giving me a write up when I decided where I would like to go to make sure my trip was as simple as possible. My family always gave me the best recommendations of things to see in Switzerland, so much so that my B360 colleagues often looked to me as a sort of tour guide because I would be given the write up with information by my host parents. Over our time together we shared many great conversations over dinner which and discussed several aspects of my culture and family back home as well as theirs.  They always showed a genuine interest in my life, even getting to know me so well that they could more often than not predict whether or not I might like the new things I would try which was quite comical at times and because of this I built a very strong connection with them. As well as introducing me to a number of their close friends and family, I was introduced to some typically Swiss dishes like Fondue, Spätzli and Racelette of which the later quickly became a favourite of mine. My Swiss host family were so caring and thoughtful, they really touched my heart and I really felt like a part of their family. I am so grateful for all they did for me and fun times we shared, they really were the perfect fit for me and I hope visit them again one day.

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Highlights and Challenges in Switzerland

Seeing and feeling snow for the first time in my life with some of my fellow B360 colleagues on the beautiful Mount Rigi was an unreal experience, I did not expect it to be so slippery and for making a snowman to be such a challenge. I was lucky enough to see some world-class views on top of the Uitleberg tower and also get close up to the famous lake Caumasee, the pure colours and shades of the water were just mind-blowing and only something I can believe because I actually saw it. One of the highlights of my daily life was walking along the lake of Zurich on my way to work and working in the Swiss Re next offices, with glass walls and a view of Lake Zurich which I will miss dearly. I also had the chance to visit the FIFA world museum, being a soccer fanatic I loved seeing all the memorabilia from signed player jerseys to boots and trophies from when FIFA began as an organization to now. Despite these experiences, I think what will stick with me the most is the connections I made with some of my work colleagues and my host family. I expected some challenges in Switzerland, studying full time as well as working presented me with a challenge, mainly of time management which although difficult I was able to manage. Not speaking the local language made finding information and speaking to people outside of work a bit of a challenge and this may be one of the reasons that I struggled to meet more people within a similar age group to myself although the young B360 network helped a lot with this issue.

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My Future Plans

I hope to complete my bachelor of accounting degree and pursue my CTA on my way to qualifying as a chartered accountant. With the knowledge, I have gained from my internship and by continuing to develop my academic capabilities I aspire to one day open my own company which could service the need for reliable and effective public transport systems within southern Africa.

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Personal Message

This experience has been nothing short of unbelievable, what I’ve learned and the connections I have made will continue to benefit me going forward. Sabina and the friendly hardworking crew from B360 did an amazing job putting everything together and giving this opportunity to us not to mention they’re swift reaction to the Covid-19 situation which was paramount in getting us home safely. This program and the people involved are not just making a difference in our lives alone, this will have a domino effect on southern Africa as it continues and I honestly cannot thank B360 enough for the impact they have made.