Steve Zeff Email & Phone Number

Two quotes resonate with me: The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald ”He had a heightened sensitivity to the promises of life”, and Virginia Satir: “Life is not the way it's supposed to be, it's the way it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference”.I am passionate about my career and take tremendous satisfaction knowing I have made a difference in the freight industry on three continents and have impacted the bottom line of numerous freight companies who have adopted the FreightGuard Service Guarantee program.How did I come to establish FreightGuard, which pioneered the limited liability concept for the freight industry? While studying for the advanced program in Financial Risk Management, I pondered how the Central Limit Theorem (the law of large numbers) could be applied to the freight industry. This theory says that once a frequently occurring event has occurred, you can predict the likelihood of the next occurrence with increased accuracy as the sample size increases. I reasoned that once you measured the frequency of regular claims for losses and damage (ignoring insurable events), you could price for this risk and retain it within the freight organisation rather than transferring it to an insurer. My case study was XPS Couriers, which potentially stood to gain from this discovery. The MD of XPS agreed to fund me for 3 months to prove the concept and so began my career in establishing the limited liability concept for the South African freight industry. It has been an interesting, lucrative and enjoyable ride. In 2001, I emigrated to Australia and pioneered the concept there. Within four years, the existing business practice of “exercising all due care but accepting no liability” had been usurped by the limited liability or risk warranty concept. In 2012, I emigrated to Israel, where I am currently based. We have also now expanded into the UK. My belief system guides me, and I work with people I like and trust. I believe your clients should mirror the values you hold dear. This has caused me a lot of grief over the years and made me unpopular sometimes as not everyone wants to hear the truth.In navigating the relentless demands of business, I know that family and friendships remain my anchor, reminding me that true success lies in the bonds we cultivate. I have been married to the same partner for over 30 years and am proud of my six children and eight grandchildren.I also enjoy distance cycling and am determined to get my coveted green number once I have completed 10 Cape Cycle tours. I have just completed my ninth😊

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  Managing Director

  Freightguard International

  Jun 1994 - Present

  Founder and Managing Director of FreightGuard International. I started the alternative freight risk financing concept in 1994 and created the limited liability (service guarantee) concept for the road and airfreight industry in South Africa. The first fund I created earned in excess of 11 million from a zero base. In 2001 I moved to Australia and introduced the concept to the Australian sea, road and airfreight industry. I created service guarantee funds for multiple companies, the funds generated earnings in excess of 5 million.We have established new operations in the United Kingdom and are actively involved in changing that industry too.