AIA Singapore has appointed Leong Li Sun (pictured above) as head of environmental, social and governance (ESG), as the insurer seeks to make its operations and investments more sustainable.
According to AIA, Leong’s mandate is to further embed the company’s SG commitment within its operations across five strategic pillars: health and wellness, green operations, sustainable investment, people and culture, and effective governance.
She reports to Wong Sze Keed, AIA Singapore CEO. Leong works closely with AIA Group and the respective local functions to develop and oversee AIA Singapore’s ESG policies and ensure compliance with group regional policies and business standards for accountability and transparency.
Leong is a certified sustainability practitioner with 10 years of experience in corporate sustainability.
Prior to joining AIA Singapore, she was vice president and head of corporate sustainability at United Overseas Bank (UOB) and served as secretariat for the UOB Group’s sustainability committee.
During her time at UOB, Leong helped integrate the company’s sustainability strategy across all functions, securing UOB's inclusion on the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index from 2019 to 2021. UOB was also among the few Southeast Asian banks to be rated “Low Risk” by Sustainalytics.
“I am delighted to welcome Li Sun into our AIA family,” Wong said. “Her arrival will drive momentum in expanding AIA Singapore’s ESG credentials that will take our industry leadership to new heights and deliver meaningful outcomes for all. ESG is at the heart of our purpose to help people live healthier, longer, better lives, as our collective future depends on the actions we are taking today. Our 2050 net-zero target is the latest in a series of initiatives that underscores this very commitment.”
AIA Group, which has US$326 billion in total assets, announced that it would divest from the coal industry. The Hong Kong-headquartered insurance group sold off almost US$10 billion of investments in coal mining and coal-fired power business. The group also pledged that it will not invest in businesses directly involved in coal mining or generating electricity from coal.
