Jacqueline Casalegno, the emblematic founder of Chanas, passed away on the night of 22 to 23 January 2019 in Douala. She was 93 years old.
In 1953, Jacqueline Casalegno, taking over the family business, created Chanas-Privat Assurances, an insurance intermediation company working on behalf of foreign companies.
The year 1999 marked a decisive turning point in her career with the purchase of SOCAR acquired as part of the privatization of State enterprises. Under her leadership, Chanas changed its status from an intermediary to that of the first insurance company of Cameroon and the CIMA zone.
The CIMA's new provisions at the beginning of the 2010s and the conflict with its partner the National Hydrocarbon Company (SNH), a major shareholder, imposed a reorganization of the company's management team.
After a few years of turmoil resulting in the decline of the company's activity, Jacqueline Casalegno quit the position of CEO in 2013. She served as the president of the Board only with the daily business management being run by a general manager.