Nicole Wasserfall

Accomplished INSETA-qualified Insurance

Underwriter with a 17-year professional career, including 14 years of direct, spe-

cialized tenure within the South African insurance and global reinsurance sectors.

Proven track record of managing multi-

national risk queues, holding final sign-off authority on policy outcomes, and inde-

pendently applying technical exclusions and waiting periods. Expert at navigating strict FSCA and PPR regulatory frameworks to protect portfolio solvency. Following a successful career track and a planned,

self-funded sabbatical, currently execut-

ing credit protection underwriting while actively expanding technical capabilities into modern data analytics frameworks.

Life products underwriter

Zestlife | 11/2025-Present

Execute technical risk selection and analysis for comprehensive credit protection and credit life portfolios, mapping variables against death,

disability, temporary disability, and critical illness profiles.

Exercise autonomous authority to approve, defer, or decline coverage across specialized insurance lines based on underwriting policies, risk and legal standards.

Ensure absolute compliance with internal risk protocols and external statutory standards, safeguarding the organization from vulnerable fi-

nancial exposure.

Act as a technical corporate liaison between sales advisors, client agents, and internal stakeholders to resolve complex risk profile details.

Medical Underwriter

Liberty Health | 10/2022-09/2025

Conducted end-to-end clinical risk analysis for a diverse pan-African medical insurance portfolio, assessing intricate diagnostic data across multiple African regions.

Held final sign-off authority regarding application outcomes, dictating independent policy acceptances, technical rejections, and sending final-

ized files back to in-country regional offices as complete.

Formulated and applied precise condition-specific waiting periods, life-

time medical exclusions, and late-joiner penalties based on practical clinical risk assessments.

Managed high-stakes forensic non-disclosure investigations from a queue of system-flagged anomalies, independently auditing historical medical documentation and physician statements to identify material misrepresentation.

Operated with high technical autonomy, filtering and resolving 98% of portfolio files independently and only escalating extreme, non-standard case anomalies to executive management.

Premiums & Claims administrator (Contract)

Gen Re | 08/2022-09/2022

Managed specialized reinsurance premium allocations and claims tracking workflows for a major global reinsurance provider.

Career Break & Self-Funded Sabbatical

None | 04/2021-04/2022

Planned sabbatical undertaken for personal development and profes-

sional recalibration following a decade of continuous service in the fi-

nancial sector.

School Fee Administrator

Fishhoek High School | 06/2019-03/2021

Directed debtor book accounting, executing large-scale ledger reconcili-

ations, collections strategies, and legal escalations.

Premiums Administrator

Lion of Africa | 10/2015-05/2019

Supervised corporate premium processing, financial reconciliations,

commissions structures, premium refunds, and policy preservation.

Underwriting Administrator

XL Transit | 01/2015-09/2015

Delivered technical support for new business underwriting, policy en-

dorsements, and initial claims registrations.

Underwriting Administrator

Swiss Re Life & Health Africa | 09/2009-12/2014

Provided comprehensive technical and administrative pipeline support to a team of 8 Senior Underwriters within a global corporate reinsurance hub.

Designed and facilitated internal training modules for incoming corpo-

rate interns and entry-level administration staff.

General Administrator

Cellucity | 01/2008-12/2008

Managed head office administrative processing, baseline HR support co-

ordination, and financial reconciliation

Professional Data Analytics Frameworks (In Progress)

Google & Coursera | 05/2026-Present

Developing core competencies in structured data analysis, SQL database querying, advanced data cleaning, and visualization platforms (Tableau)

to optimize risk portfolio reporting.

Occupational Certificate: Insurance Agent: Insurance Underwriter (NQF 5)

INSETA | 04/2024-04/2025

Further Education and Training Certificate: Wealth Management (NQF 4)

INSETA | 01/2013-01/2014

Short Course in Elements of Life Insurance

IISA | 01/2011-06/2011

Access Programme

UNISA | 06/2010-12/2010