Sheun Oke has launched Emergenzz – a protection and private medical insurance advice firm set on tackling the “gross” underrepresentation of Black advisers.
Speaking to Health & Protection, Oke (pictured) revealed her new firm, which received direct authorisation from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) this month, will advise on protection, life, critical illness, business protection and PMI.
But Oke said her firm will also focus on training recruits on sales and marketing as well as how to advise on protection and help customers take out the right coverage.
Successful recruits will either go on to work for Emergenzz or elsewhere within the industry.
“It’s not just serving Black people, but we are grossly underrepresented when it comes to protection,” Oke told Health & Protection.
“We’re looking to increase diversity of the Black community and the Indian community. We’re looking to get more Gen Z.”
In that spirit, Oke added a focus for her new business will be going into schools.
“One of the things we’re going to be doing is to speak at schools. So coming into financial advice, people fall into it, not because they choose it.
“So one of the strategies we’re going to be doing is speaking to schools and giving them the opportunity to actually choose to join the sector.
“We need more young people to be advisers.
“If you look at the statistics around financial advisers, the demographics and the age, it’s very masculine and middle-aged white. So one of the things we want to do is get more young people involved.”