FWD Group Holdings Limited marked its 10th anniversary since the FWD brand was introduced on 14 August 2013, by announcing its '10 grants in 10 markets' charitable initiative for local communities.
In 10 years of operation, FWD has expanded from its beginnings in Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Thailand to span 10 markets across Asia, serving over 10 million customers.
FWD Group group chief executive officer and executive director Huynh Thanh Phong said, "Over the past decade, the FWD journey has been ambitious. It's a story of growth, success, commitment, perseverance, and determination in changing the way people feel about insurance. FWD is 10 years young, and we have only just begun."
The 10th anniversary community initiative provides grants in each of the 10 markets where FWD operates, supporting charitable programmes with a focus on financial inclusion.
Mr Huynh Thanh Phong added, "Caring has long been one of our values here at FWD and that extends to the communities where we live, work, and serve customers. We're delighted to expand our Community Care programme further and boost financial inclusion in local communities with these meaningful projects."
The '10 grants in 10 markets' Community Care initiatives are:
- Hong Kong SAR: Supporting CareER to enhance its job-matching services for highly-educated persons with disabilities and special educational needs;
- Macau SAR: Supporting Caritas Macau to develop an online sales platform and physical store for handicrafts handmade by people with disabilities, with vocational skills training;
- Thailand: Sponsoring 10 student scholarships for professional hospitality training with the Pimali Foundation;
- Japan: Partnering with NPO Welfare Beauty and Barber Training Association to develop a support programme for young caregivers;
- Cambodia: Sponsoring a financial literacy focused radio show with the Women's Media Centre of Cambodia;
- Indonesia: Launching the InnovateHer Academy programme in partnership with KUMPUL.ID to support 10 female entrepreneurs to kick-start their businesses;
- Malaysia: Partnering with NGOhub to deliver financial awareness and digital marketing programmes to 10 lower income families to improve financial and digital literacy;
- Philippines: Further expansion of the JA SparktheDream programme to provide out of school youths with entrepreneurship and certified financial literacy training;
- Singapore: Partnering with The Simple Sum to develop and distribute financial literacy e-comic book to beneficiaries through local non-governmental organisation partners; and
- Vietnam: Further expansion of the JA SparktheDream programme to create cartoon videos which educate on financial literacy.
The introduction of the FWD brand followed the acquisition of ING's life insurance companies in Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Thailand on February 28, 2013, by Richard Li Tzar Kai of Pacific Century Group, majority shareholder of FWD Group, reported New Straits Times.