A Gambian by birth and nationality, Mr. William B. Coker started his insurance career in 1980 with the Gambia National Insurance Corporation and rose through the ranks to become its first Deputy Managing Director/Deputy CEO in 1994 and later in 1998 was appointed its Managing Director/CEO. William held this position until 2005 after which he was appointed to the position of Secretary General/CEO of the West Africa Insurance Companies Association (WAICA) — a sub-regional body of insurance institutions in West Africa, which he, upon assuming office, implemented a successful turn around of the institution which at the time was quite dormant and ineffective, given its mandate. He also served on the Governing Council of WAICA. WAICA is the parent body of WAICA Reinsurance Corp. and William was very instrumental/a Key Driver in the setting up and establishment of WAICA Reinsurance Corporation Plc and has been serving on that Board of Directors.

William is a Chartered Insurer after having attending the CII College of Insurance in Sevenoaks, Kent, U.K. and qualifying in 1992 as an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute of London, U.K. He attended the prestigious Maastricht School of Management, Netherlands and earned a Postgraduate Diploma (with Distinction) in General and Strategic Management in 1995.

William is currently a part-time lecturer at the West African Insurance Institute, (WAII) in The Gambia  and is a Fellow of that Institute. He was also a part-time lecturer at the Ghana Insurance College in Accra, and is a Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Ghana.

• Coker served on the Board of Directors of the Gambia Telecommunications Company
• He was among the Select Committee of Gambians who were tasked by the President of the Republic of the Gambia with the setting up and establishment of the University of The Gambia. He was retained to serve on that university s Governing Council for its formative years.
• He also served on the Board of Directors of AGIB Bank, The Gambia.
• He worked with ECOWAS and the African Trade Insurance Agency (Chairing some Committees) to facilitate the creation of an Investment Guaranty Mechanism for West Africa.
• He worked with the West African Monetary Institute (WAMI) on the Harmonisaton of Insurance Laws in West Africa  This is an on-going work.
• He was a Member, Board of Governors of The Roman Ridge School, Accra, Ghana and the Methodist Primary School, The Gambia (both Private schools).
• He was a Member of the first African Continental Panel of Judges for the African Insurance Awards instituted by Africa Reinsurance Corp.
• A Past President of the Rotary Club of Banjul and a Paul Harris Fellow
• Coker is currently part of the Seven Member Board of Trustees of the Methodist Church Connexional Conference, The Gambia.

Mr. Coker has served or is still serving on other Boards of Directors/Governing Councils and such bodies. He has attended many conferences/seminars/workshops/training programs over the years.

He has been married for over 36 years and has four children.