In Focus with Insight

In this episode of Open Books, acclaimed South African author and financial journalist TJ Strydom takes us behind the scenes of his reading life, writing process, and the books that have shaped both his career and worldview. From literary masterpieces by Cormac McCarthy, Hilary Mantel, and Joseph Heller, to productivity classics like Deep Work and Slow Productivity by Cal Newport, TJ shares the titles he returns to time and again and explains why they continue to influence his thinking. The conversation explores the art of researching and writing bestselling non-fiction, the discipline behind deep work, the value of long-form journalism, and how reading fuels creativity, travel, and lifelong learning. TJ also reflects on building successful books about South African business icons (such as Christo Wiese, Koos Bekker and Capitec), his fascination with financial history, personal finance, investing, and even his strategic approach to entering game shows. Whether you're passionate about books, writing, productivity, business, investing, or discovering your next great read, this episode offers thoughtful insights, practical wisdom, and plenty of book recommendations to add to your reading list. TJ's Book Picks The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy The Ascent of Money by Niall Ferguson Catch-22 by Joseph Heller Connect with TJ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tj-strydom-01407a64/ Follow Insight LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/insight-actuaries-&-consultants/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insight_za/ Website: https://www.insight.co.za/

In this episode of In Focus, we sit down with Louis van As, Consulting Actuary at Insight Life Solutions, to explore the evolving world of life insurance, actuarial consulting, and financial risk. Louis shares his journey from Cape Town to Ireland and back, reflecting on the experiences that have shaped his career across life insurance, pensions, statutory reporting and actuarial consulting. Drawing on work throughout Southern Africa, Ireland and the Middle East, he offers valuable insights into the diverse regulatory environments and industry challenges that have influenced his approach to consulting. Together, we discuss what it takes to become a South African approved actuary, the significance of IFRS 17 and embedded value reporting and how emerging challenges such as climate risk, capital management and artificial intelligence are reshaping the future of insurance. Louis also shares how Insight Life Solutions is developing innovative actuarial tools and dashboards to help insurers make smarter, data-driven decisions, while reflecting on the future of actuarial consulting in an increasingly complex and rapidly evolving industry. Whether you're an actuary, insurance professional, student or simply curious about the future of financial risk management, this episode offers valuable insights from one of the industry's experienced consultants. Connect with Louis LinkedIn: https://za.linkedin.com/in/louis-van-as-0a1586216 Follow Insight LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/insight-actuaries-&-consultants/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insight_za/ Website: https://www.insight.co.za/

What if the biggest challenges in healthcare, leadership, education and society aren't isolated problems, but interconnected systems waiting to be understood? In this episode of Open Books, Pamela Hellig sits down with Shivani Ranchod – actuary, emergent systems strategist, breathwork practitioner and educator – to explore the books that have shaped her thinking and the ideas influencing her work today. Together, they discuss systems thinking, healthcare innovation, leadership, emergent strategy, meditation, breathwork, AI, education, decolonisation, and the importance of returning to wholeness in both our personal and professional lives. Whether you're an actuary, healthcare professional, leader, educator or lifelong reader, this conversation offers fresh perspectives on complexity, creativity and building systems that truly serve people. Shivani's Book Picks Consolations by David Whyte Radical Wholeness by Philip Shepherd Emergent Strategy by Adrienne Maree Brown Fragrance After Rain by Jaiya John The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran Connect with Shivani LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shivani-ranchod-circanow/ Substack: https://substack.com/@circanow Follow Insight LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/insight-actuaries-&-consultants/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insight_za/ Website: https://www.insight.co.za/

In this special World Hypertension Day edition of In Focus with Insight, Roger Wiseman sits down with Dr Gary Kantor to unpack one of the world’s biggest — and often invisible — healthcare challenges: hypertension. Known as the “silent killer,” hypertension is one of the leading causes of preventable stroke, heart attack, kidney disease, and death globally. Despite blood pressure being easy to measure and treatment being widely available, millions of people remain undiagnosed or uncontrolled. In this conversation, Dr Kantor explores why hypertension remains such a significant global and South African health challenge, while discussing the gap between funding healthcare and achieving meaningful long-term outcomes. The discussion covers how healthcare systems can improve diagnosis, treatment adherence, and blood pressure control, as well as the role of GPs, pharmacies, medical schemes, and home-based monitoring. The episode also highlights practical, scalable approaches to improving hypertension management and why awareness, regular measurement, and simplified treatment protocols can make a life-saving difference. Connect with Gary & Roger on these platforms: Dr Gary Kantor LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gareth-kantor/?isSelfProfile=false Roger Wiseman LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogerwiseman/?isSelfProfile=false Insight LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/insight-actuaries-&-consultants/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insight_za/ Visit our website: https://www.insight.co.za/

In this episode of Open Books, Pamela Hellig sits down with Swiss-based entrepreneur Oliver Werneyer to explore the realities of startup life, AI innovation, business strategy, and entrepreneurship. Originally from South Africa, Oliver shares his journey from the actuarial world into building and scaling startups in Europe — including launching a payments company for insurers and now developing AI-powered automation tools in Switzerland. Throughout the conversation, they discuss the transition from corporate life into entrepreneurship, the realities of building startups, and why solving hard problems matters more than chasing quick wins. Oliver shares lessons from books like Good Strategy Bad Strategy, The Art of War, and Jobs to Be Done, while unpacking how AI is changing business, decision-making, and the future of work. They also dive into founder psychology, product-market fit, innovation, and the surprising business and life lessons hidden inside children’s books. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, actuary, founder, business leader, or simply interested in innovation and strategy, this conversation is packed with practical insights and thought-provoking ideas. Oliver's Book Picks: Good Strategy Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt The Art of War by Sun Tzu Monkey Puzzle by Julia Donaldson Jobs to Be Done by Clayton Christensen Connect with Oliver on these platforms: Oliver Werneyer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliverwerneyer/ Insight LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/insight-actuaries-&-consultants/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insight_za/ Visit our website: https://www.insight.co.za/

In the final part of this Open Books series, Pamela Hellig and Emile Stipp reflect on existentialism, war, and the search for meaning. Drawing on powerful literary works and historical context, Emile explores how human beings respond to suffering, uncertainty, and a seemingly meaningless world — and how meaning is ultimately something we must create for ourselves. From the writings of Jean-Paul Sartre to the poetry of Wilfred Owen, this episode brings the conversation full circle — from AI and logic to the deeply human experience of living. Connect with Emile Stipp on these platforms: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emile-stipp-4141b93b6/ Insight LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/insight-actuaries-&-consultants/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insight_za/ Visit our website: https://www.insight.co.za/

In Part 2 of this Open Books series, Pamela Hellig continues her conversation with Emile Stipp — moving deeper into the world of philosophy, logic, and language. Through rare and influential books, Emile explores how some of history’s greatest thinkers have tried to answer fundamental questions about truth, meaning, and reality. From Ludwig Wittgenstein to Kurt Gödel, this episode unpacks the surprising limits of logic — and why not everything meaningful can be proven. Erratum: In the discussion of Imre Kertesz’s Kaddish for an Unborn Child, the quote regarding poetry after the Holocaust was incorrectly attributed to Paul Celan. It should be attributed to Theodor Adorno. Connect with Emile Stipp on these platforms: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emile-stipp-4141b93b6/ Insight LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/insight-actuaries-&-consultants/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insight_za/ Visit our website: https://www.insight.co.za/