Inspiring Female Leaders in Insurance in Asia |
Elite Women

Leah Ng – Manulife Singapore
Chief bancassurance officer

After rejoining Manulife Singapore in mid-2023, Ng felt like she was returning to a family whose culture welcomed her with open arms.

“Coming back to this company and working alongside passionate people who desire to do the best for the business, our distributors and our customers has been rewarding,” she says. “The spirit of collaboration is palpable across different departments.”

Ng’s current role finds her at the helm of a significant bancassurance partnership in Singapore, where she leads a team of people who genuinely desire to make a difference in supporting the partnership channel by going above and beyond.

During her absence from Manulife, she seized opportunities to gain valuable senior-level experience and expertise in other areas of the insurance market, from business development across all distribution channels to support and acquisition.

She accelerated growth in the distribution team of another international life insurance business before rejoining Manulife as its chief bancassurance officer, steering the life insurer’s pivotal partnership with a major local bank in Singapore.

Chief among Ng’s notable achievements, demonstrating her legacy for over two decades, are:

• building strong and autonomous teams that function impressively
   

• leading the distribution transformation of a significant acquisition and merger of two life insurers in Singapore
   

• driving one of the most robust recoveries across all insurance manufacturing sites, building resiliency into the business she was leading at that time

For female leaders in insurance such as Ng, the ability to pivot quickly and be agile helped them successfully tackle the challenging operating environment that hit insurers in 2023.

“The most rewarding moments at different points in my career were overcoming seemingly insurmountable challenges,” says Ng.

Career strategies that have served her well include:

• building a vast network of mentors, peers and sponsors
   

• investing in her people
   

• creating a psychologically safe environment that empowers people to bring their best foot forward

Upon reflecting on the impact she hopes to have on the industry, Ng passionately articulates a vision that extends beyond insurance as a product or solution.

She says, “I want to inspire women and the next generation of young insurance leaders to reach for the stars by growing their careers and aspiring to make a positive impact.” 

“There can be so much more that one can do if you can muster the courage to bring yourself to the table and contribute confidently”
Leah NgManulife Singapore

Sandra Lee – BMS Asia (Hong Kong)
Asia chief executive officer

Upon entering the insurance industry, Lee brought a wealth of legal knowledge from her private practice experience. Widely regarded as a trailblazer in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) insurance, she has been instrumental in advancing the M&A insurance sector in Asia and played a crucial role in establishing BMS in the region as CEO.

Under her leadership, BMS Asia has expanded to a team of 25 across Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Japan.

“It’s most rewarding to be able to directly impact and influence the growth and development of my team and witness their growth in our specialised and niche area of the industry,” she says.

Lee has always ensured the work she delivers is of the highest quality, a testament to the approaches she emphasises as crucial:

• rolling up your sleeves and doing whatever is needed
   

• striving for perfection and delivering the highest quality
   

• constantly re-evaluating yourself and your goals

As she progressed into senior positions, the skill of incorporating feedback and adapting her communication style transformed her into a more impactful leader. This lesson empowered her to be flexible and authentically connect with her team, maintaining their motivation at a high level. 

“The definition of what is considered correct or appropriate at a given time may change in two months or two years, depending on the circumstances,” she says. “Learning to be open to feedback keeps me grounded in knowing myself and having confidence.”

She takes pride in positively impacting her team’s well-being by ensuring employees have downtime whenever possible and engaging in team activities such as group hikes, regular team lunches and online group gatherings. 

That passion has also led to significant contributions, including:

• enhancing the rigour of training for junior employees, focusing on developing technical expertise
   

• coordinating ongoing learning and training initiatives for the entire team
   

• promoting and providing employees with opportunities to assume leadership roles and positions via platforms such as conducting presentations and public speaking

Over the last year, Lee’s insurance niche has faced notable challenges, particularly in relation to their reliance on a robust M&A market for their advice and services.

“I overcome these challenges in the same manner as how I overcome everything else I face: I’m a long-distance junkie and ran marathons in my early days,” she says. “If you put your mind to something, you can achieve it. Also, I believe what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” 

“I feel fortunate to be in this position, and it’s a challenging role irrespective of gender; always keep your eye on the goal and what you aspire to achieve”
Sandra LeeBMS Group

Evon Lim – Synergy Financial Advisers
Chief operating officer

Despite being a youthful COO and a new parent, Lim has proven through her compassionate leadership and flair for engagement that factors such as gender, experience, age and education are secondary to one’s ability to adapt and excel.

Guided by a mentor’s advice that “skills to do come from doing,” she learned how to readily maintain a positive attitude and an open mindset to take on new challenges.

“It reminds me not to be afraid to make tough decisions or even make mistakes to achieve greater growth,” she says.

Working within the dynamic and challenging financial services sector has allowed Lim to shine and showcase her ability to lead through these approaches:

• engaging and motivating teams to be part of a push for process integration
   

• adapting quickly to the speed of technological advancement
   

• demonstrating a commitment to continuous learning

From her beginnings as a business development manager with Synergy Financial Advisors, her passion for excellence led her into a compliance officer role, where she excelled. Lim’s outstanding performance and dedication earned her several promotions, and in 2022, she was appointed COO.

“Evon’s ability to adapt and embrace new responsibilities has been truly remarkable,” says nominator and CEO Adrian Peh. “Beyond her professional achievements, Evon commands the respect of her colleagues and serves as a role model, especially for women in our organisation.”

Reflecting upon the impact she hopes to have on the industry’s future, Lim states that achieving gender diversity in the workplace is a priority because she believes it fosters innovation, creativity and a broader range of perspectives.

She also takes pride in engaging internal and external stakeholders to achieve business goals and process efficiency. Her ability to encourage involvement from various parties emphasises her exceptional communication style.

While Lim maintains firmness in her decisions, she approaches her role with empathy and sincerity, always striving for the team’s greater good.

She says, “Seeing everyone play their part to build success stories together makes the effort worthwhile and gives me a great sense of fulfilment.” 

“Women can contribute to shaping the future with men by breaking down gender barriers, advocating for equality and serving as role models for future generations”
Evon LimSynergy Financial Advisers

Inspiring Female Leaders in Insurance in Asia |
Elite Women

• 
  Leah Ng
  Chief Bancassurance Officer
  Manulife Singapore
   
  
• 
  Sandra Lee
  Asia Chief Executive Officer
  BMS Asia (Hong Kong)
   
  
• 
  Tracy Lee Kus
  Head of Commercial Risk, Asia-Pacific
  Aon
   
  

• Alexandra Wrobel
  Head of Cyber, Commercial Insurance Asia
  Zurich Insurance
• Anusha Thavarajah
  Regional Chief Executive Officer
  Allianz Asia-Pacific
• Astha Desai
  Director and Head of Product
  Igloo
• Chantal Bond
  Chief Reserving Actuary (P&C + L&H), Asia-Pacific
  SCOR
• Deanna Ong
  Chairperson, Swiss Re
  Chief People Officer, GIC
• Evie Chong
  Head, Technology Services
  Finology
• Evon Lim
  Chief Operating Officer
  Synergy Financial Advisers
• Felicia Er
  Chief Risk Officer
  MSIG Asia
• HuiLeng Tan
  Senior Vice President
  Marsh
• Iris Chan
  Head of Corporate Risk and Broking and Executive Director, Construction – Hong Kong and Macau
  WTW
• Lei Yu
  Chief Executive Officer, North Asia and Regional Head of Distribution
  QBE Hongkong and Shanghai Insurance
• Niharika Yadav
  President Director
  AXA Financial Indonesia
• Pit Wen Lee
  Vice President and Head of Claims Operations, Singapore
  Marsh McLennan
• Selina Lau
  Chief Executive
  The Hong Kong Federation of Insurers
• Shalini Pavithran
  Chief Executive Officer
  Singapore College of Insurance
• Sze Keed Wong
  Chief Executive Officer
  AIA Singapore
• Veronica Grigg
  CEO
  Sedgwick