The majority of women leaders agreed that many internal programmes have helped gender equality in the insurance industry in recent years. There is no denying that women typically have a stronger tendency to connect with and bond with others.

This is very helpful in the insurance sector, where it’s necessary to be able to persuade others and have ongoing conversations. Additionally, effective relationship-building techniques lead to both a more personalised customer experience and effective employee connections. Women perform better in underwriting and claim processing positions in the insurance industry because of their empathy and intuition. As we all know, gaining the stakeholders’ trust is the main goal of the insurance industry. Therefore, there is a constant need for skilled communicators in the field, which women can fill.

Manal Hassan Jarrar is the General Manager of National Insurance Co. and has more than 25 years of experience in the insurance industry. She is also a board member of the Jordan Insurance Federation, the International Women Forum Jordan, and many banks, universities, and the Jordan Insurance Federation. She is also a member of the Jordanian Businessmen’s Association. Since Jarrar has been in the industry since 1991 and has worked for four different insurance companies, she most likely knows the insurance industry like the back of her hand.

Committed to Success

Manal Jarrar graduated from the University of Jordan (UJ) in 1989 with a BA in literature and a high diploma in economics. She then went on to earn a master’s degree in Business Management and Leadership from the London Graduate School, and, finally, in 2018, a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) with a focus in insurance management from Commonwealth University.

Jarrar persisted and worked toward a goal at “WATANIA” as she rose to the top of the organisation in a field that has historically been dominated by men. Her extensive experience includes strategic planning, executive management, financial management, business development, and the supervision and control of operations, among many other areas of the industry.

Manal Jarrar, the first female to receive the title of general manager of an insurance company at the level of the Arab world, bearing in mind that this position was exclusive to men. She was included on a list of the hundred most powerful Arab woman in The MENA region by Forbes magazine for the year 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021 and among the Middle East’s most influential woman 2018 (Forbes magazine). She drives her company to be one of the best insurance companies in the Market with a solid performance to serve their clients as well as making Service are important value in their culture.

Jarrar is a member of the board of directors of the Jordan Insurance Federation and a member of the women international forum Jordan (IWF), in addition to being a member of the technical committee to facilitate trade and transport in the Ministry of Transport.

She is also a certified lecturer with many banks, universities, and the Jordan Insurance Federation.

National Insurance Company

NIC is one of the first established insurance companies in Jordan. Its main goal is to provide distinctive insurance services and products to satisfy the needs of its clients. Since its founding in 1965, NIC has committed all of its resources to effectively serving the insurance interests of Jordan’s public and private sectors. The NIC was able to achieve a high level of customer satisfaction thanks to the dedicated and prompt services provided.

NIC has a 58-year track record of success and has managed to win the support of the Jordanian people thanks to its integrity, loyalty, and high-quality services, which are supported by a strong partnership with the biggest reinsurance companies in the world.

The company owns the largest and most important computer system in the Jordanian insurance sector, where the insured can fill out the insurance application online Issuing insurance policies, electronic accident reports, and e-payments, we are always up to date with what is new in the world of technology.

NIC has one subsidiary company called NAI Real-Estate Company Ltd., which was established with a full-time paid In the capital of JD60K during the year 2008, the subsidiary is fully owned by the insurance company and it started its operation during the year 2020 in a small volume due to the slow-down market position according to COVID-19 impact and the political conditions around, However, during 2021 NIA achieved a profit of JOD 93K.

NIC is committed to rising to the top among regional life and non-life insurance providers with the highest levels of customer utility. Through alliances with the most reliable international reinsurance partners, it sees itself as one of the first insurance providers.

The company’s mission is to become the most prosperous insurance company in Jordan by providing individualized insurance and risk management solutions, as well as a welcoming work environment and the perfect balance of professional and personal growth.

Work Responsibility

The National Insurance Company is listed on Amman Stock Exchange. Since 2012, Jarrar has been developing business policies and the company’s resources at the National Insurance Companies. She helped the company raise its financial strength rating from a B- to a B from the US credit rating agency AM Best. In the first nine months of 2020, the company reported total revenues of $15.5 million, gross written premiums of $19 million, and total assets of $38.8 million.

Jarrar is closely collaborating with executive management at NIC to develop insurance policies and strategies, as well as the company’s resources and capabilities, while keeping track of the major clients’ policies and claims. The following are the Jarrar’s role responsibilities that go beyond the company’s primary services to stakeholder management:

• Ensuring the implementation of executive management strategies at all company levels, including the branches and representatives
• Follow up on important correspondences with all shareholders.
• Budget preparation in relation to insurance, claims, and managerial expenses. Variance monitoring, cause analysis, and related cost-cutting in relation to overruns in the budget.
• Direct supervision of both the Sales and Marketing departments and continuous follow-up on the implementation of company policies and plans
• Close coordination with subordinates is necessary to ensure quality outputs within the objectives of the company.
• Developing and continuing the improvement of the processes and procedures in line with the company strategy
• Discussing all reports received and providing recommendations to executive management in relation.
• Direct coordination and seamless participation with the financial department in revenue collection and credit provision to the best customers
• Ensuring that financials are in line with instructions from the financial department and board of directors, maintaining contacts with existing customers and potential customers.
• Providing feedback and commercially important information and research to the customers and marketing department
• Working closely with the marketing department in developing company capabilities and value-for-money services.
• Participation in and leadership of meetings with other employees and departments as needed.
• Professionally representing the company in front of any stakeholder, including customers, community representatives, government institutions, etc.
• Approving raises, promotions, and layoffs in accordance with company procedures and in coordination with other departments.
• Competitors monitoring and analysis and identifying company weaknesses and strengths.
• Performance appraisal of other managers and employees of the department

Words from the Experience 

“Everyone in life has a challenge, but as females, we have bigger challenges, and we have to face these challenges in different ways,” Jarrar says. She adds that first, one must define his or her goals and then determine the mechanism to reach them while maintaining their priorities; this is the beginning of success.

Jarrar’s story began as that of a fresh graduate who had no practical life experience. She read an advertisement in the daily newspaper that an insurance company was holding a training course in sales and marketing. She joined this course, and after that, she was appointed to this company.

As a sales employee with a very low salary and commission, although this was not Jarrar’s dream job, she loved it. She shares, “I started to learn new things every single day and reading every little information I can get in the insurance Field.” Meanwhile, Jarrar applied to obtain several professional certificates in the insurance sector which were equivalent to higher university degrees. In a sector exclusive for that at the time men, it was not easy for her as a woman to prove herself and to entire it and stands out. She recalls, “I drove my company to be one of the best insurance companies in the market with a solid performance.”

Jarrar one of the hundred most powerful Arab women (MENA) region by Forbes magazine for the years (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021). As a result of her hard work and experience in this field, Jarrar was awarded an honorary doctorate from the academic council of the commonwealth university in business administration in 2018.

Jarrar thinks the biggest challenge is that most people still live with the mentality that certain businesses or tasks are better handled by men; actually, she believed in this quote: “The best man for the job is a woman.” She also considers that in balancing business and family, women are expected to be the backbone of the family and need to find a way to manage that as well as their involvement in the business. Jarrar’s advice to women is to “Believe in yourself; if you don’t, nobody will. If you act on your beliefs, people will treat you based on what you think about yourself; it is you who define the meaning of success. If you work harder and smarter, you will win (dreams come true), and the sky is the limit.”