Maurice Digbeu Kipré, visionary founder and CEO of Serenity, Côte d’Ivoire’s leading insurance firm, passed away on Sunday, May 17, 2026, in Abidjan. He was 75.

Born and educated in Côte d’Ivoire and the United States, 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, where he played a pivotal role in shaping national insurance policies.

In 1993, he took the helm at CICA-RE, steering the reinsurance giant until early 2008. Just months later, he founded Serenity, an institution that would soon become synonymous with innovation and reliability in African insurance.

Kipré was not only a trailblazer in the industry but also a respected leader. As a key member of the CIMA Regional Control Commission, the African Insurance Organization (OAA), the Federation of African National Insurance Companies (FANAF), and the board of the International Insurance Institute of Yaoundé, he contributed significantly to the growth and standardization of insurance practices across the continent.