27th Asia Insurance Industry Awards 2023

Cathay Life Insurance has a client base of 8m and has established a base of more than 20m valid contracts. The insurer achieved $15.634bn in insurance premium in 2022, reaching a market share of 20.6% and employs about 25,000 agents, which is the most in the industry in Taiwan.

Cathay Life collaborated with Health Promotion Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare and Taipei Medical University to launch health certification courses to train 15,000 agents to become health consultants. Aside from being equipped with knowledge in dementia care, precision medicine, and diet-related areas, they can also assist clients with health management and guide caretakers to acquire resources.

The insurer also collaborated with the Industrial Technology Research Institute to launch a mobile cognitive assessment service, which includes assessments of short-term memory and executive function. This service not only provides convenient assessments but also helps users become aware of the risk of cognitive decline. Upon its launch in October 2022, the service has accumulated more than 14,000 users, 92% of whom considered the service helpful as a reminder to take care of cognitive functions.

Cathay Life also launched its first elderly-specific innovative product Le-Kang-Ai Term Cancer Insurance targeted at people over 55 years old to improve enrolment of the elderly in insurance plans and the living quality in an aged society.

As the largest institutional investor in Taiwan, Cathay Life has adopted ‘engagement’ as its core strategy in the implementation of responsible investment. In 2022, the company conducted one-on-one engagements with 80 enterprises on 15 ESG issues for a total of 211 communications. To attract more enterprises to pay attention to climate issues, we have also organised forums over several consecutive years and participated in international conferences to showcase our commitment and dedication to addressing climate issues.

Bajaj Allianz General Insurance (BAGIC) works to bring bestin-class insurance products and services to its customers.

BAGIC, through its prudent underwriting, innovative product offerings and clear cut focus serves over 140m customers across the country with a dedicated band of 7,500 employees, 85,000 advisers and 9,000 motor dealer partners.

The company closed the financial year 2022-23 with a gross written premium of INR154.87bn ($1.866bn). It issued 27m policies and garnered a market share of 5.9%. It recorded profit before tax of INR18.03bn and profit after tax of INR13.48bn.

BAGIC consistently develops and launches innovative products that cater to the unique requirements of its customers. The company’s focus on creating customised and innovative insurance solutions has helped it to standout from competitors and deliver value to customers. The company’s commitment to excellence and innovation has been recognised with numerous industry awards and accolades.

BAGIC is committed to harnessing digital technologies to deliver innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of its customers. The company has implemented a range of digital initiatives to provide customers with greater convenience, speed, and flexibility. These digital offerings are designed to streamline the customer experience and enable policyholders to manage their policies, claims and payments effortlessly.

The company has also put in place several initiatives to further enhance its digital assets like its websites Caringly Yours App, Ezeetab, iMitra and CRM. This has empowered its partners and customers by easing the entire process.

Optical character recognition (OCR) has revolutionised various processes, enhancing efficiency and accuracy across the industry. BAGIC implemented OCR across various processes like motor claims, health claims, corporate and legal, finance and offline KYC and operations.

HSBC Life believes that prevention is preferable to cure and supports customers in embracing a healthy lifestyle through its all-in-one medical proposition from prevention to recovery. Through a three-step approach of prevent, protect and recover, with the onus on prevent, the company fulfils needs with an holistic health and wellness proposition.

In 2022, the company opened a new paramedical centre, following the success of its first one in 2021. The two centres provide insurance and preventative healthcare capabilities alongside integrated wealth and financial planning. Preventive care services such as regular health checkup, vaccination packages, allergy testing as well as HSBC Life exclusive three-highs prevention programme are provided by registered doctors, nurses and nutritionists.

The company’s Well+ product attracted over 141,000 customers, of which 46% were active on a monthly basis, with 94,000 bonus badge registrations and close to HK$490m ($63m) in annualised new business premiums.

To boost awareness of the importance of medical protection, the company introduced the medical protection challenge, a gamified digital engagement tool that helps customers level up their health insurance knowledge in three minutes.

In 2022, the company boosted its health protection offerings and medical plans to help ensure best-possible outcomes. Responding to the increasing numbers of new local cancer cases, the company launched the digitally enabled swift guard critical illness plan in July 2022 to offer extensive and priority coverage against 76 critical illnesses at affordable premiums, ensuring everyone can get the protection they need.

To ease customers’ recovery period, the company in 2022 added the e-claims benefits+ platform to smoothly submit claims anytime and anywhere for outpatient visits, specialists, lab tests, X-rays, physiotherapy and pharmacy medicine. A total of 187,000 e-claims were processed from March 2022 to February 2023.

This is one of India’s fastest-growing general insurance companies and also a digital full-stack insurance company. At Digit, technology forms the backbone of all processes, from customer onboarding to the settlement of claims. The company has leveraged the power of AI and machine learning and big data not only to streamline its processes but to also simplify customers’ experience. It adopts technology to empower employees and partners, not to replace them.

At Digit, technology empowers everything that the company envisions for its customers and partners. All sales and service channels, and customer and partner touch points are digital since the company’s inception in 2017.

The company is 100% on the cloud which ensured no adverse impact on business operations even after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Digit’s technological innovations have enabled it to achieve efficient underwriting, which is its differentiator from other insurers. It employs technology-enabled solutions and also a hybrid model of AI-enabled analytics and human assessment, aid its customers, partners and employees and drive efficiency.

Around the core of its technology platform, it has developed in-house microsystems, that allow it to facilitate a range of routine tasks – from policy design, underwriting, pricing and issuance to servicing and claims management. The platform is entirely cloud-based, making the system agile, connected and scalable.

As a relatively young general insurance company, the company designed its digital infrastructure from inception with a focus on delivering a high-quality customer experience. Its strong execution track record underpinned by this nimble model is evidenced by its ability to identify market opportunities, balance organic growth and activate new partnerships and integration in a speedy manner.

The Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance (ANZIIF) has continued to demonstrate market leadership by industry collaboration and developing education and training that meets the needs of the industry and enhances standards and professionalism in the AsiaPacific region.

ANZIIF’s diploma in loss adjusting is the only pathway to fulfil the education requirements to become an AICLA chartered loss adjustor, for which it has transitioned the diploma from traditional study to its new online education model. The institute’s brokers code of practice short course is relevant for all insurance brokers who subscribe to the 2022 Insurance Brokers Code of Practice and is free for ANZIIF members. ANZIIF also works closely with companies to support the implementation of training to staff.

The institute’s innovative education model supports the changing landscape of the insurance industry and has provided education to 16,829 professionals across 38 countries. In total, 17,389 qualifications including short courses at a foundation, intermediate and specialised level. In addition to the 26 new and updated skills units, ANZIIF released five short courses.

The Southeast Asia and China Membership Directory recognises and celebrates ANZIIF certified insurance professionals, which continued to set the benchmark for the industry.

ANZIIF’s social media following grew to over 23,100, with increasing numbers from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and China with over 35 media articles.

ANZIIF’s careers in insurance initiative is a cross-industry effort to promote insurance as a desirable career option, with the goal of inspiring young people, career changers and other members of the community to see the insurance industry’s diverse, challenging, and rewarding opportunities. The Institute has also partnered with Fuse Recruitment to help graduates learn the foundational knowledge and skills to start their insurance career.

With more than 700 employees across eight offices serving 15 markets across Asia, RGA is well-positioned from both a capacity and capabilities perspective to bring pioneering new solutions to the region.

A consistent, disciplined approach, coupled with global expertise, financial strength and strong traditional underwriting capabilities, provides a stable platform to promote long-term success for its clients and together work to make financial protection accessible to all.

In a region where technology changes rapidly, RGA focused efforts on leveraging a differentiated skillset to deliver custom digital solutions in the past year. It produced a market first digital reinsurance underwriting solution in Japan; worked with a major insurer in South Korea to launch a market-first discount rider product that employs predictive mortality risk scores, based on individual credit data; and developed SEP, a data-driven automated underwriting solution that accepts more than 16,000 international classification of disease code-based minor pre-existing medical conditions validated through rigorous analysis of claims data.

With an innovative yet pragmatic approach, RGA’s business development and technical experts collaborate with clients and partners to meet consumers’ needs across various Asian markets. Its thought leaders around the world also produced research papers and articles to address the industry’s most urgent and emerging issues.

RGA’s unique approach to product development helps narrow the protection gap in Asia. Leveraging global expertise, the organisation’s innovation ecosystem and culture empower all local experts to collaborate with our clients to develop propositions that meet end-consumers’ insurance needs in their markets, optimise the insurance value chain, and create long-term, sustainable value. This ultimately helps its clients provide financial protection to more people, including underserved segments.

Munich Re continues to be financially strong, with a solvency ratio that even rose to just over 260%.

The growth in digitalisation triggered by the coronavirus lockdowns has led to a dramatic rise in cyber attacks, especially in highly connected markets in Asia.

It continues to expand its regional network and partnerships; its expertise in modelling cyber risks is being honed through greater access to data and technologies. In collaboration with clients in the region, solutions comprise customised cyber coverage and services to prevent and cope with attacks. Its strategy, founded on data, know-how and consistent risk management, has made Munich Re a leading cyber risk carrier.

Another challenge insurers face is the transition to climate neutrality. Munich Re possesses leading engineering and risk assessment expertise and has innovative risk-transfer concepts ready for this investment surge.

Green hydrogen, produced using electricity from renewable energy sources, is likely to play an important role; however, hydrogen production requires enormous investments and financiers must be convinced of the reliability of the new technologies.

Munich Re’s green tech solutions unit has developed an innovative guarantee cover for hydrogen production plants, relieving manufacturers, operators or investors of such plants’ availability or performance risks. As with performance warranty covers for photovoltaic manufacturers, this considerably eases the financial burden on businesses as it enables them to redirect capital that is no longer needed for guarantee reserves into business development, while at the same time evidencing the quality of their technology. In addition, a critical risk is reduced for investors, lowering the bar for finance. Munich Re is already talking to potential pilot clients for this solution, which is called HySure.

In China, Munich Re is significantly investing in an R&D centre in Shanghai, with the objective of supporting the development of green insurance solutions and extending the insurability of new risks. A dedicated staff of 20 experts from various domains will conduct market research and strategy development.

Marsh Asia serves its clients by protecting their balance sheet. By keeping up with industry risk trends, leveraging data, analytics and digital technology, employing various channels to connect Asia’s businesses and closely collaborating with insurers.

The broker is always ready with holistic, innovative and relevant risk management and transfer solutions. It aimed to help companies enhance business continuity and supply chain resilience by launching two risk advisory solutions to enhance organisations’ resilience and insurability.

It developed a detailed assessment and bespoke framework for crisis management and provides additional value in the operationalisation of crisis management plans, including staff training and scenario-based exercises. Marsh Asia also launched its security risk management solution to safeguard physical assets in higher-risk geographies.

The broker also set up an EV insurance solution in Japan comprising three major non-life insurers to manage the lack of historical loss data that hampers insurability for electric vehicles. The company also demonstrates positive ESG actions such as mangrove planting in Indonesia.

Marsh Asia developed industry-relevant insurance solutions for the region amid a challenging market for cyber risks. The proportion of cyber attacks targeting Asia increased in 2022. Marsh Asia garnered 280 cyber self-assessment completions to bridge cybersecurity and insurability gaps, such as helping a Thai manufacturer develop a robust incident response plan, resulting in 33% increase in the number of cyber policies placed in 2022.

The broker also secured additional capacity and alternative risk transfer solutions amidst rising insurance rates. With global and Asia insurance prices rising for the 22nd consecutive quarter, Marsh launched the fast track facility in Q1 2023, bringing additional dedicated, pre-arranged ‘follow form’ capacity to clients across major lines of businesses. Insurers will provide up to 5% of the capacity at 2.5% discount for subscription policies.

The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA)’s climate change roadmap, ‘Towards Net Zero and a Resilient Future’, was released in November 2022.

Drawing on best practice globally and locally, the ICA’s roadmap was an important milestone for the Australian insurance industry, providing a framework for insurers to cut emissions this decade substantially, with specific targets to achieve net zero by 2030 for its operations and work towards achieving net zero across its investments, supply chain and underwriting no later than 2050.

The roadmap outlines how the industry can tackle shared challenges on the path to net zero, from establishing a methodology to measure emissions in supply chains, to engaging with regulators on the development of climate and nature regulation.

The roadmap was co-authored by Boston Consulting Group and the ICA and draws on a year-long consultation with ICA members from across the general insurance sector, representing approximately 89% of total premium income written by private sector general insurers, spanning both insurers and reinsurers.

Following its launch in November 2022, the industry roadmap received strong public support from ICA member insurers, who play a significant role in the Australian economy and global markets. This roadmap is now being used by ICA members to develop their own ESG and net zero strategies.

The ICA is treating the roadmap as a ‘living’ document that will be updated annually to ensure it reflects the latest insights on climate action for the general insurance sector. The first annual update will be published by November 2023. The annual update will measure and monitor progress against milestones in the roadmap. A framework is being developed to track progress on the roadmap across its members. This will include a member survey to publicly demonstrate progress, highlight obstacles impeding progress and showcase best practice in insurance.

bolttech has a vision to build a global technology-enabled ecosystem for embedded insurance, providing unrivalled scale for partners to embed insurance at the point of need and deliver a better, more customer-centric experience.

By implementing new technologies and AI advances to continuously enhance its value proposition, the company considers itself as an enabler, that works alongside insurance and non-insurance players to multiply the opportunities for all participants and add value to customers.

bolttech is celebrating its third anniversary in 2023 and is today one of the fastest growing insurance ecosystems globally, with quotes of approximately $55bn worth of annualised premiums through its insurance exchange. The company currently operates in 30+ markets across three continents, working with over 230 insurers and 700 distribution partners to offer more than 6,000 products on its platform.

The company has built partnerships with some of Asia’s leading brands, which include: AIS of Thailand to deliver embedded protection services; Viettel Telecom of Vietnam to launch insurance on their mobile app; Home Credit to expand insurance offerings in the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia; Tune Protect Group in Malaysia, for the launch of a new device protection solutions and support services, and Yale Singapore to launch insurance coverage for personal home security systems in Singapore.

bolttech is enabling fast and scalable API integrations to improve services for partners and this involves onboarding more new partners onto its API platform, scaling with existing ecosystem players, and the expansion of new modular services made available to its partners via APIs: such as its own payment services, claims automation and digital marketing capabilities. The scaling up of ecosystem partnerships and services, resulted in the company’s API connections increasing tenfold in 2022.

BNP Paribas Cardif is a world leader in creditor insurance, providing its more than 80m customers with products and services. The insurer is committed to having a positive impact on society and to making insurance more accessible. With a unique business model anchored in partnerships, it creates solutions for more than 500 distributors.

In 2022, BNP Paribas developed ONESystem, a 360° nextgeneration insurance platform, to tackle longstanding industry issues of fragmented systems and long product time-to-market. Its new digital operations made handling insurance simple, flexible and scalable, empowering users to navigate formerly complex and scattered processes faster and with greater urgency, in one place.

This microservice-oriented design, low/no-code platform comprises seven unique solutions that cover processes from end to end. It is built on one technology stack, using the same UI/UX design framework for cohesiveness, and with secure and seamless single sign-on functionality. This unified approach made BNP Paribas the first B2B2C insurer in Asia to offer a world-class user experience to employees, partners and customers on one platform.

This innovative, market-scalable platform has revolutionised insurance in Asia by making operations simpler and more adaptable to ever-changing requirements. Its new digital foundation solves longstanding time-to-market, technology and operations issues by integrating seamlessly across all aspects of the B2B2C processes, from point of sales to middle and back-end automation, innovation and API integration.

Partners are empowered to expand their businesses with a complete, customizable, and fast-to-change platform that facilitates improved customer satisfaction and outcomes. Following full rollout across the region, ONESystem is expected to have outsized impact by developing the markets’ local technical capabilities quickly.

FM Global Centre

FM Global Centre is an experiential risk management facility designed to address the continually evolving property loss prevention needs in APAC. The facility situated in Singapore Science Park, opened its doors in November 2022 with a vision to boost Asia Pacific’s risk and resilience culture.

It is FM Global’s first experiential risk management facility in APAC designed to meet the region’s complex and diverse needs through proactive and pre-emptive asset protection solutions. The S$80m ($58.5m) facility houses 10 simulation and interactive laboratories and four learning spaces which includes an immersive theatre to reveal how investment in risk improvement can prevent financial losses and deliver business value.

More than 500 risk managers and executives have visited the FM Global Centre since its soft opening last year, reflecting a continued business focus on resilience and climate risk.

Reinsurance Group of America, Inc. (RGA)

Reinsurance Group of America (RGA) launched a simplified issue expansion project (SEP) in South Korea. To address the challenges faced by many insurers in expanding its simplified issue business, RGA developed SEP, a data-driven automated underwriting solution. The SEP automated underwriting solution is embedded in the insurer application process in the form of API. The SEP filters and evaluates these cases based on six data variables, including ICD code, age, hospitalisation record, operation record, time since treatment and number of claims.

SEP increases insurers’ product sales by expanding the acceptance of cases with minor diseases by up to three to 10 times and strengthening loss ratio management through evidence-based, data-driven rules. Its automated electronic case selection capability also improves operational efficiency, saving up to KRW200m ($150,000) worth of manpower cost per company. An estimated additional 20% of customers with minor pre-existing diseases are now able to purchase insurance coverage.

PERILS was originally established by leading industry players with a mission to enhance the industry’s understanding of natural catastrophe risks operating as a nonprofit organisation dedicated to the markets it serves.

It has been operating globally for 14 years including seven years in the Asia-Pacific region. During that seven-year period, PERILS has expanded its coverage to include Australia, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Philippines and Thailand.

Its mission focuses on being the primary industry exposure and loss reporting agency supporting the industry in two critical areas – increasing the availability of reliable exposure and loss data to improve the quality of catastrophe models and understanding of the catastrophe risks; and the sustainability and affordability of capital to provide protection especially for peak Nat CAT zones in the region.

PERILS continues to support the industry acting as a loss reporting agency for alternative capital transactions such as ILS, industry loss warranties and collateralised re transactions. Given the tightening market conditions globally for Nat CAT capacity, this role in supporting alternative capacity has grown in importance.

It remains committed to its mission to expand its market coverage in the region by providing reliable and timely industry exposure and loss data hence improving the understanding of Nat CAT risks.

It successfully launched coverage of Japan non-life industry exposure database in 2022 and subsequently reported the typhoon Nanmandol loss event during this period. PERILS has actively reported major loss events in ANZ also supporting the growth of alternative capital transactions in these two respective markets. This is further supported by the successful issue of the first industry loss trigger ILS transaction through Hong Kong.

Tenaga Nasional (TNB) corporate risk manager Suriati Asmah Abdullah has three decades of experience in risk management. She was a part of the pioneer team that established TNB risk management department.

TNB is the largest public listed electricity utility in Malaysia covering generation (23,000MW installed capacity), transmission (25,000km and 480 substations) and distribution (741,000km and 87,00 substations) business.

Ms Abdullah’s work involved handling engineering loss control and insurance claims for TNB’s generation assets consisting of 12 power plants.

She is also a certified risk management professional, issued by Disaster Recovery Institute International and holds the certificate of the Malaysian Insurance Institute.

Academically, Ms Abdullah is masters in risk management with distinction from Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland and a bachelor of engineering (mechanical) (hons) from the University of New South Wales, Australia.

She has been instrumental in establishing the business continuity management structure and manual for group finance division.

A member of the TNB Group Risk Management Working Committee, Ms Abdullah also plays a dual role as the reinsurance strategy and business development officer at TNB Global Captive, TNB’s captive insurance company based in Labuan.

Over the years, Ms Abdullah has provided risk management strategy and insurance advisory services in various departments. Under TNB Risk Management Services, she played a significant role in integration and management of office administration, HR and IT.

Ms Abdullah’s work in corporate risk management provided her an opportunity to collaborate with governmental agencies including Khazanah Nasional Berhad, Ministry of Finance and the Electricity Commission, and to connect with public organisations such as the Malaysian Association of Risk and Insurance Management.

Mr David Padin is president of Cocogen Insurance of the Philippines. At 33, Mr Padin has already held numerous senior level positions in the insurance industry in the Philippines.

He served as the senior vice president, head of the corporate finance and strategy division, and head of external affairs and government relations at Cocolife, where he oversaw several key initiatives that contributed to the company’s remarkable growth in recent years. He was also the deputy head of for the risk management and compliance division of Cocolife, where he led the company’s data privacy and AMLA compliance efforts.

Under his leadership, Cocogen posted the highest net income of PHP223m ($4m) in 2022, posting a growth of 342% compared to 2021. He handled the company’s bancassurance programme with Land Bank of the Philippines as a result of its merger with UCPB.

Mr Padin was also involved with Cocogen’s innovation efforts, including enhancing the company’s website and e-commerce platform, ensuring that it was a one-stop shop for all insurance needs in the market.

Before joining the corporate sector, Mr Padin was a legislative officer in the house of representatives and was a member of the legal research team of the Sandiganbayan.

He completed his BA in political science and minored in economics at the University of San Carlos and also obtained his juris doctorate degree from the University of the Philippines College of Law where he also served as the law representative of the UP Diliman Student Council.

Ms Anusha Thavarajah is a passionate leader dedicated to nurturing talent and upholding social responsibility. With a diverse background encompassing mathematics, actuarial science, CRO and CFO, she ultimately discovered her calling as CEO. As someone who puts people at the heart of the organisation, she is deeply committed to driving change, influencing people and building successful teams and businesses.

Ms Thavarajah is Allianz Asia Pacific’s (AZAP) regional CEO and a member of Allianz Asia’s regional executive board. With nearly 30 years’ experience in the financial industry, she has held senior leadership positions in the UK and Asia.

She joined AZAP in 2019 as regional life and health CEO. Under her leadership, it grew exponentially in 2020, recording an operating profit growth of 11.4% despite the pandemic. She was promoted to regional CEO in 2021, overseeing all of AZAP’s comprehensive insurance portfolio, encompassing life, health and property and casualty in 10 markets. She drove the business strategy, focusing on distribution and customer, which has resulted in resilient performances year-on-year.

Ms Thavarajah is a pioneering figure; she was the first female president of the Life Insurance Association of Malaysia (LIAM), chairperson of the Malaysian Insurance Institute and first female CEO in AIA Group.

Recognising the need for transformation, whilst chairperson of LIAM, she formalised the appointment of LIAM’s inaugural full time CEO, elevating LIAM’s engagement with regulators to new heights. She appointed an industry veteran as the first CEO. She has spearheaded transformative initiatives, elevating the standards of LIAM, empowering female leaders through mentorship, and equipping agents with futureproof skills. Through her partnership with INSEAD, she has set a new benchmark of excellence in the insurance industry.

With 45 extensive years of international insurance experience, Mr Alan Wilson is undeniably an established industry veteran. His dedication to his craft and approachable demeanour set him up for senior management roles early in his career. At 30, Mr Wilson rose to a role akin to a chief executive officer while in Royal Exchange Assurance based in Pakistan and at 41 years old, he embarked on his first regional CEO role with Guardian Royal Exchange based in Singapore. Mr Wilson was the CEO of MSIG Asia and retired in 2022, after 14 years at the helm.

Mr Wilson currently serves as a director on the boards of four MSIG-related entities around the region. This includes MSIG Asia, MSIG Insurance (Malaysia), MSIG Berhad and MS Amlin Asia Pacific.

Since joining MSIG in early 2008, the company has delivered consistent top-and bottom-line growth in Asia and expanded its network in the region to 14 markets under his leadership. In 2008, Asia was identified as a key growth market by the head office and with Mr Wilson’s business acumen as then regional CEO, MSIG rose to become number one in gross written premiums in ASEAN by 2010, recording excellent profits despite the impact on the business brought about by the Thailand floods earlier in 2011.

Mr Wilson was subsequently honoured with his appointment as the first foreign executive officer in Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance (Japan). With his executive management track record, he helped lead and navigate MSIG Asia in meeting its top line and profitability targets last year amidst the challenges presented by the pandemic. Under Mr Wilson’s leadership, the region under his purview grew from strength to strength, achieving 156% growth in gross written premiums, 134% growth in net underwriting results and 151% growth in profit after tax.