Passing of maurice digbeu kipré, visionary founder of serenity insurance in Côte d’Ivoire

Maurice Digbeu Kipré, founder and chief executive officer of Côte d’Ivoire’s leading insurer Serenity, has passed away in Abidjan on Sunday, 17 May 2026. He was 75 years old.

After completing his education in Côte d’Ivoire and the United States, Mr. Kipré launched his professional journey in 1979 at American International Group (AIG).

By 1988, he had risen to the position of Director of Insurance within Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of Economy and Finance, shaping national insurance policy during a pivotal era.

In 1993, he took the helm at CICA-RE, steering the reinsurance giant until early 2008. Later that same year, he established Serenity, a company that would soon become synonymous with innovation and trust in African insurance.

A towering figure in the African insurance landscape, Mr. Kipré served on key regulatory and industry bodies. These included the Regional Control Commission of the Inter-African Conference on Insurance Markets (CIMA), the executive committee of the African Insurance Organisation (AIO), the executive board of the Federation of African National Insurance Companies (FANAF), and the board of directors of the International Insurance Institute in Yaoundé (IIIY).