Fifteen insurance champions took centre stage at the glittering 22nd Asia Insurance Industry Awards 2018 gala dinner tonight, held in conjunction with the 15th Singapore International Reinsurance Conference. The winners triumphed over stiff competition amid a bumper crop of some 800 entries this year.
CXA Group CEO and founder Rosaline Chow Koo, who has become a household name not just in insurance but in Asia’s business landscape, claimed the Woman Leader of the Year title. The category was introduced for the first time this year to recognise the crucial contribution that women make to the insurance industry in Asia. CXA Group also shared some of the night’s glory, winning the popular InsurTech of the Year category for its unique benefits and wellness platform.
Former winners, proving that consistency pays off, include Muang Thai Life Assurance and RGA Reinsurance Company, the incumbent Life Insurance Company of the Year and Life Reinsurer of the Year respectively. Both retained their titles this year.
Another insurer which retained its title is India’s Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company, which echoed its 2017 victory in the Digital Insurer of the Year category. The prominent face of Bajaj Allianz, managing director and CEO Tapan Singhel, deservingly took the Personality of the Year title. With these wins, the insurer has achieved the rare honour of taking home two titles at a single awards ceremony two years in a row.
Another individual who has turned heads in the region is Manulife Cambodia’s Rotha Chan, the first person in his country ever to sell life insurance. His inspiring story of building the first generation of life agents in a challenging emerging market won him the Young Leader of the Year award, a new prize to honour insurance executives below 40 years of age who have shown outstanding leadership qualities while contributing to the advancement of the insurance industry in Asia.
Traditional industry stalwarts had their place limelight too. The General Insurer of the Year award went to AIG Asia Pacific, while Marsh Asia and SCOR won the Broker of the Year and General Reinsurer of the Year awards respectively.
In this digital age, it is only fitting that the awards recognise technology achievements. HSBC Insurance (Asia) served up the Innovation of the Year for its genetics-based testing product feature, while AXA Hong Kong produced the Technology Initiative of the Year award through its use of data science and machine learning.